Certain words, just in thinking about them, have a physiological effect on my mouth.
The word lime makes me pucker.
Mushroom makes my teeth clamp down and my lips curl in. (They ain’t gettin’ in.)
The phrase cobblers, crisps and crumbles not only sets my mouth watering, it makes my nose twitch like a rabbit in search of where this bubbling dish of hot, succulent fruit topped with a sheath of crumbling, sugary bits is cooking. And it curls the edges of my lips into a curve so wide I swear they meet at the back of my head.
It’s an impressive feat, but a good cobbler can do that to just about anybody.
With an abundance of tart blueberries popping off the bushes and into my garden basket this week, there was no other choice but to use them, along with the rest of the berries in the fridge begging to be included, and toss them into an award-winning dessert.
There are so many wonderful recipe books out there that can guide you through making these luscious (and so simple ANYONE can make them) classics, but truth be told, you can easily make up your own with nothing more than a little imagination and a windfall from the woodland edges.
If you’d like a recommendation, Lisa Yockelson’s Cobblers, Crisps and Deep-Dish Pies cookbook resides on my cookery shelves, but the web is plum full of more variations on these dishes than you can shake a stick at. Just get cookin’.
Blueberry, Raspberry, Blackberry Crisp
(Food for the gods from your garden. If they don’t show up, eat it yourself.)
Topping:
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- 3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
- 1/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon (generous) ground cardamom
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temperature
Fruit mixture:
- You will want a mixture of around 3 pounds worth of berries. That equals out to about 9 cups or 4 pints of fresh berries. (And I had a nectarine that jumped into my fruit bowl uninvited. I cannot say no to fruit.)
- 1/4 cup sugar (for this I used coconut palm sugar, but you can use granulated as well)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Vanilla ice cream (or butter pecan, or rum raisin – go wild)
Preparation
For topping:
Mix flours, oats, coconut, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cardamom in medium bowl. Add butter and rub in with fingertips or a dough blender until mixture comes together in small clumps. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and pop in the fridge.
For fruit mixture:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Butter 9×13-inch glass baking dish. Combine berries, sugar, and cornstarch in large bowl; toss to blend. Transfer mixture to baking dish. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit. Bake until fruit mixture is bubbling thickly and topping is golden brown, about 50 minutes. Cool 20 minutes. Serve warm with your scream. Accept accolades humbly.
Now don’t forget to head on over to the main post (here) to see what I’m bletherin’ on about this week. And check out what we’re talkin’ bout down at the pub (here) too!
Shelley Sackier 