Several of you requested the recipe for my blackberry cobbler after I posted a picture of it on FB for the occasion of my husband, Tim’s, birthday. I’m calling it “any fruit cobbler” because this same recipe and technique can be used for any fruit in season. I especially remember mom making peach cobbler and “toot” (mulberry) cobbler in Lebanon.

Choose a baking dish with at least a three-inch side. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For the crust:

1. Mix 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of shortening or lard, and a tsp of salt with a pastry blender till the shortening looks like small peas.

2. Add 10 tablespoons of ice water one tablespoon at a time, tossing all the ingredients together with a fork. Press into a ball and divide in half.

3. Roll one half on a lightly floured surface to the shape of the baking dish plus three inches more and place in the bottom of the dish. Set aside while preparing the filling.

For the fruit filling:

1. Mix sugar, cinnamon, and corn starch with the cut-up fruit. Berries can remain whole.

2. Fill the bottom crust with the fruit mixture. Dot with pinches of butter.

3. Roll out the second layer of dough and cover the fruit mixture with it.

4. Seal the edges by turning the top layer over and then under the bottom dough layer.

5. Crimp the edges by hand or seal with fork tinds.

6. Vent the top crust by slashing with a sharp knife in a decorative pattern.

Bake for one hour at 375 till golden brown and fruit juices are bubbling up through the vents.  

Do you serve your cobbler with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream?