Blueberry cobbler is simply the easiest fruit cobbler to make. As fruits and berries go, blueberries are not only a super food, they are super user friendly -- they don't have to be peeled, pitted, sliced or diced prior to using them. They come ready to go -- they are one quick measure or weigh away from being ready to add to whatever you're making or baking. That said, the combination of blueberries and lemon together is delightful -- the two go hand-in-hand together.
Blueberries are one of seven native North American food plants grown on a large scale and cultivated commercially (with three types of blueberries suppling over 90% of the market: lowbush, highbush and rabbiteye). The other six: concord grapes, cranberries, strawberries, corn, beans and squash. This means these seven plants were in existence before any of our immigrant ancestors arrived in this new world and the Native Americans were eating them and creating their own uses for them long before they introduced them to the original Colonists. That said, blueberries were domesticated entirely in the 20th century and it did not take long for this "very American berry" to gain the love of the entire world.
Blueberry cobbler -- a very berry American cobbler.
A bit about cobbler: Cobbler is almost always associated with a baked, deep-dish fruit or berry dessert that emerges from the oven with a semi-crispy top that has been made with a batter, a biscuit dough or a pastry. There is no right or wrong topping for a cobbler -- it depends on your preference, where you live, and/or who taught you how to make cobbler. Cobbler recipes have been printed in European cookbooks since the 19th century and were originally main-dish, protein-based meals. Cobblers in the US originated in the Colonies because the English settlers were unable to make their traditional suet puddings for lack of ingredients and proper equipment. The name is said to derive from the finished product looking like a rough cobblestone street.
And this goes together faster than I can eat the blueberries!
1 1/2 pounds blueberries (24-ounces)
4 ounces salted butter (1 stick)
1 cup pancake mix
1 cup sugar
1/2-3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons pure blueberry extract
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Sugar 'n Cinnamon
~ Step 1. Place the butter in an 8" x 8" x 2" baking dish/2-quart casserole -- I like clear glass because I can keep an eye on the baking process. Melt the butter in the microwave. Tilt the dish to evenly coat the entire bottom with the melted butter.
~Step 2. To make the batter, in a large bowl, stir together the pancake mix, sugar and cinnamon. In a 1-cup measuring container, stir together the milk, blueberry extract, lemon extract and vanilla extract. Add the milk mixture to the pancake mix mixture. Using a large rubber spatula, stir until a thin, semi-lumpy batter forms -- trust me, lumpy is a good thing.
~Step 3. Pour all of the batter into the baking dish right on top of the butter. Do not be inclined to stir the batter into the butter. Spoon/distribute the blueberries evenly over the batter. Generously sprinkle the top of the berries with Sugar 'n Cinnamon. Bake on center rack of preheated 350º oven 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool to desired temperature, 2-4 hours.
Note: While the cobbler is baking, the blueberries (or any fruit) are going to sink to the bottom of the baking dish. At the same time, the batter is going to bubble and bake up to the surface in random spots across the surface. The cobbler will be golden and will spring back slightly when touched in center. Walk away. Cool at least 20-30 minutes.
Serve steamy-hot, slightly-warm or at room temperature:
Pucker Up for a Very Blueberry and Lemon Cobbler: Recipe yields 8-12 servings.
Special Equipment List: 1-cup measuring container; large rubber spatula; 8" x 8" x 2" baking dish/2-quart casserole, preferably clear glass
Cook's Note: I grew in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, known as Pennsylvania-Dutch Country. In that area, the majority of bakers used various streusel recipes to top their fruit pies, coffeecakes and muffins. On another note, the Pennsylvania-Dutch are well-known for their easy-to-make sour-cream-custard pies, meaning: they substitute sour cream for the classic cream or milk when making their custard pies. Try my version of ~ PA-Dutch Blueberry & Lemon-Custard Streusel Pie ~.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos Courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2019)
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