Blackberry Cobbler (Vegan)

My memories of picking blackberries on my grandmother's farm in Southern Maryland have often left me less than enthusiastic about summer berries in California.

But last week when we found a vendor at the Marin Farmers' Market with melt-in-your-mouth super sweet blackberries, the time was ripe to indulge in a berry cobbler.

Cooks' Illustrated posted a low-sugar blueberry and biscuit recipe with an ingredient list "small enought to let the fruit shine through." I used the blackberries, and switeched out a few ingredients to make the dessert gluten and dairy free.

It's peak season for berries. Check your Farmers' Market for the best selection.



My Paleo Marin Rating: 5 Persimmons

Ingredients:

Blackberry Filling:

1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch fine grain sea salt

6 cups fresh blackberries, washed and picked over

1-2 tablespoons lemon zest
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Biscuits:

1 cup gluten-free flour, preferably Cup4Cup
2 tablespoons almonds, ground in a food processor
1/4 cup cane sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (Note: Use Miyoko’s Cultured Butter for vegan)
1/3 cup almond milk mixed with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Biscuit Topping:

2 teaspoons cane sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Blackberry Filling:

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Stir sugar, arrowroot powder, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl. 

3. Add berries and mix gently with a rubber spatula until evenly coated.

4. Add lemon zest and juice to mixture and combine.

5. Transfer berry mixture to a 9-inch glass pie pan, place pan on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until filling hot and bubbling around the edges, about 25 minutes.

Biscuits:

1. Add the lemon juice to the almond milk. Let sit for about 5 minutes.

2. Whisk the flour, ground almonds, cane sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl to combine.

3. In another bowl, whisk the melted butter, almond milk and lemon juice mixture, and vanilla in a small bowl. 

4. In another small bowl, mix 2 teaspoons cane sugar and cinnamon together and set aside.

5. One minute before the berries come out of the oven, add wet ingredients to dry ingredients; stir with a rubber spatula until just combined and no dry pockets remain.

To Assemble and Bake the Cobbler:

1. Remove the berries from the oven, and increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.

2. Pinch off 8 equal-sized pieces of the mixed biscuit dough and place around the hot berry filling, being careful to keep them separated.

3. Sprinkle each biscuit with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until the biscuits are golden brown on top and cooked through, about 15-18 minutes. 

4. Cool cobbler on a wire rack for 20 minutes and serve. 

#paleoinspired #berrycobbler #blackberries #dessert #farmersmarket #summer #vegan #dairyfree #glutenfree

Recipe adapted from the Cooks Illustrated website here.

*My Paleo Marin Rating between 1-5 Persimmons
I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.