What's For Dessert: Blackberry Cobbler

We invited a friend over for dinner last week, and while my usual dessert selection is typically in the chocolate family, this time around I thought something a little more wholesome might be in order.

I decided something fruit-filled would be perfect for dessert. A pie was out as it was a weeknight and I didn't want to take the time to make a crust, so cobbler it was. Though blackberries are more commonly associated with late summer, I had a hankering for them that just couldn't be quelled -- incited perhaps by a recent sale on organic blackberries at the market. By the time I got around to picking up ingredients for my cobbler, however, the sale was off, so I ended up using a mix of fresh and the more-economical frozen berries.

This blackberry cobbler, served alongside a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, was delicious and the perfect ending to a great meal shared with a friend.

Blackberry Cobbler (printer-friendly version)
makes 6-8 servings

For the fruit filling:
4 cups blackberries, rinsed and dried
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

For the cobbler topping:
3 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/4 cup 1 percent milk, plus additional for brushing
1 egg, lightly beaten
turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

1. Add the blackberries, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch to an 8x8 square baking dish. Stir to evenly coat the blackberries. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Add the cubed butter and use a pastry blender or two forks to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles  coarse crumbles.
4. Stir in the milk and egg until the dough just comes together.
5. Scoop the dough into large spoonfuls and place on top of the blackberries. (You should get between 6 and 8 scoops of dough.) Lightly brush each scoop of dough with milk, then sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the blackberries are bubbling and the cobbler is golden brown.
8. Serve warm or room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

(adapted from this recipe from Simply Recipes)

What's For Dessert: Wild Blackberry Hand Pies

The other day, D asked if I'd like to go for a hike, and I said 'sure!' Now, my idea of a hike typically involves some sort of walk through the woods on a marked trail. D's version of a hike involves pulling the car off on the side of the road and wandering into the (public) woods. These adventures typically involve a lot of bushwhacking. We usually bring the dog along on these forays into the forest, and Leroy just loves it -- his tail wags nonstop as he hops from one rock to another and bounds through the grasses that reach past the top of this head. I, on the other hand, find myself clawing my way through the deep grasses, trying to avoid losing an eye to one of the branches whipping into my face, and extracting myself from the brambles as the forest tries to claim me as one of its own.

I may or may not have been the happiest camper during our latest backwoods adventure. That is, until I discovered we were walking through the motherlode of wild blackberry plants. Those very plants that were clawing at my body and snagging my jeans were also heavily laden with fruit. 

Being the resourceful outdoorswoman that I am (ha ha!), I pawed through the satchel I was carrying  and extracted a sandwich bag, into which we could harvest some of the delicious wild blackberries that surrounded us. It didn't take us very long to fill the bag nearly to the brim with foraged berries.

 I knew as soon as I got home that I'd have to make us some sort of tasty treat with these little freshly-picked fruits. I ended up making a batch of wild blackberry hand pies, and they turned out quite deliciously. Though pastry dough still gives me trouble here and there, this dough (after a bit of finagling) turned into a super-flaky shell for the sweet and tart blackberry filling. Add a little scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on the side, and you've got a rustic-turned-elegant dessert on your hands, ready to share.

Wild Blackberry Hand Pies (printer-friendly version)
makes 8 hand pies

Pastry dough:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon unsalted baking powder
1 cup (16 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup cold Greek yogurt (I used Chobani 0%)
3 tablespoons cold organic skim milk (if necessary)

Filling:
2 cups blackberries, fresh
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon tapioca granules
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 large egg, beaten
white sparkling/sanding sugar

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the cold butter cubes, and use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles small peas. 

2. Stir the yogurt into the dough mixture. If the dough still seems too dry, stir in the skim milk. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until it comes together. Pat into a log shape, then roll out into an 8"x10" rectangle. Fold it into three, then flip the dough over. Turn the rectangle by 90 degrees, and roll out again into another 8"x10" rectangle. Fold in three a second time. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

3. While the dough is chilling, make the blackberry filling. In a small sauce pot, combine the blackberries, sugar, tapioca granules, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens, 5-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. 

4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Set aside.

5. Roll the dough into a large rectangle or oval; the dough should be quite thin, about 1/8" thick. Use a 3-inch round (or square) cookie cutter to cut out 16 circles. Crack an egg into a small bowl and beat with a fork. Brush the egg wash across 8 of the circles. Place about 1 tablespoon of blackberry filling into the center of each egg-wash-covered circle. 

6. Use a decorative cutter (I used a small leaf shape) to cut a vent in the center of each of the remaining eight circles. Top each filled circle with a vented circle. Use a fork or your fingers (or both!) to crimp along the edges of each circle to seal it completely. Brush the top of each hand pie with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle generously with sanding sugar.

7. Bake the pies in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for at least 20 minutes on a wire rack before serving. Any leftover pies can be refrigerated or frozen (wrap first in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer bag) for longer storage.

(adapted from this King Arthur flour recipe)

What's For Dessert: Blackberry Ricotta Mini Phyllo Cups

Let's continue our journey down blackberry lane, shall we? A few weeks ago our friends invited us over for dinner, and in addition to throwing together a quick salad (with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette and croutons, of course!), I also made a quick dessert to share. Since we were eating dinner al fresco on their pontoon boat (as one does when you live on a lake), I wanted to make something bite-size and easy to handle. Luckily, I had a box of pre-baked mini phyllo cups in the freezer. With a little sweetened ricotta cheese added into the cups, dessert was ready in less than 15 minutes -- 10 of those minutes were spent waiting for the phyllo cups to thaw!

Each phyllo cup was garnished with a set of wild blackberries. If you are using store-bought berries, you'll probably need fewer berries, as one or two will be enough to garnish; wild blackberries can be quite tiny in comparison!

As to the taste? Let's just say it's kind of ridiculous how delicious these little bites are. And by cheating (just a little bit!) with the use of pre-baked phyllo cups, you have an elegant dessert that's ready to be served in no time.

Blackberry Ricotta Mini Phyllo Cups (printer-friendly version)
makes 15 mini phyllo cups

mini phyllo cups, thawed (I used Athens brand)
3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
zest from one lemon
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/4-1/2 cup fresh blackberries

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, honey, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth.
2. Spoon the ricotta mixture into each phyllo cup.
3. Top each cup with fresh blackberries. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.