Queen of Desserts—this Blackberry Cobbler gets my vote

Homemade blackberry cobbler—quadruple yum! Am I livin’ the dream, or what? . . . walking out to my own blackberry vines, hosing down those fresh berries in my own kitchen sink, laying them out on the bottom of an oiled dish, dusting on the sugar mixture, and lacing a lattice crust over the top. It made a beautiful cobbler on which we’ve been feasting for days.

This recipe, I’m proud to report, is from my very own cookbook—Way Back in the Country Garden. It’s the dessert that my cousins Bill and Jana brought to the meal served before Aunt Frances’ funeral three years ago. An absolutely superb and fail-proof recipe. I really think that Blackberry Cobbler must be the queen of desserts, rivaled only by homemade Peach Cobbler, which is upcoming soon on this blog.

It has reigned around our house for several days—best news yet, I divided the cobbler into two square pans and managed to squire one away for the days in which those vines of summer are a memory.

Blackberry Cobbler

2 quarts blackberries

2 cups sugar (or sugar substitute)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 stick butter

1 purchased pie crust, or crust made from your favorite recipe

melted butter for brushing crust

extra sugar (or sugar substitute) for sprinkling over crust

Spray with cooking oil a 13-by-9-inch baking dish (or two square baking dishes). Spread the blackberries into the dish. Mix sugar and flour; then sprinkle mixture over berries. Slice the stick of butter into 1/2-inch slices; then dot the butter pats over berries, sugar, and flour. Place pie crust strips in a crisscross pattern over the berries. Brush the crust with melted butter; sprinkle with extra sugar. Bake at 350 degrees until the cobbler is golden brown. Makes 6 servings.