Homemade Blackberry Cobbler

This weekend, the husband and I went blackberry picking on Whidbey Island where we live. They grow everywhere here. Everywhere. With our bounty, I decided to try my hand at a homemade blackberry cobbler. I made this sucker from scratch, and I'm quit pleased with the result.

I found a recipe at Williams-Sonoma, which I have posted on my Pinterest cooking board in case you're interested.

The recipe calls for a cast-iron skillet, but this cobbler can also be made in any ovenproof dish. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. It is best with ice cream when the cobbler is still a little warm.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups fresh blackberries 
• 1 1/4 cups sugar 
• Zest and juice of 1/2 lime 
• 1 Tbs. cornstarch 
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder 
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda 
• 1/8 tsp. fine sea salt 
• 6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and chilled 
• 1/4 cup buttermilk (I think it might be too much, so keep that in mind)

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, toss together the blackberries, 1 cup of the sugar and the lime zest. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice and cornstarch until smooth.

Drizzle the lime juice mixture over the blackberry mixture and toss to combine. Scrape the blackberry mixture into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour mixture until it is the texture of coarse meal. This might take a bit of time. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour the buttermilk into the well and stir with a fork until the mixture comes together. Be careful at this part because there may be too much buttermilk. Crumble the dough evenly over the top of the blackberry mixture in the skillet.

Bake the cobbler until the blackberry filling is bubbling and the topping is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let the cobbler rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8.