No Sugar For This Cobbler

 

And the reason you don't have to add sugar (unless you really want to) is that the berries that are going in this cobbler are sweet enough! Ali Rosen, who wrote the new cookbook 15 Minute Meals, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for cobbler that includes a biscuit dough top. Ali says if you're trying to cut back on sugar, still want a delicious dessert, look no further! Ali says you don't have to choose the berries, you can make this with whatever you have on hand. Give this a try and savor the delicious taste of those stewed berries with the flaky biscuit crust.

• 1 Package (16 ounces) Strawberries, sliced
• 1 Package (6 ounces) Blackberries
• 1 Package (6 ounces) Raspberries
• 1 Package (6 ounces) Blueberries
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 Cup plus 4 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons baking powder
• 6 Tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into pieces
• 3/4 Cup heavy cream
• Whipped cream or ice cream

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F.
2. COMBINE berries and lemon juice in a medium bowl.
   
3. SET ASIDE berry mixture.
   
4. MIX cornstarch with 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl.
   
5. POUR cornstarch mixture over berry mixture.
6. STIR berry mixture gently until ingredients are evenly combined.
7. POUR berry mixture into a 2-quart, or 9 x 9-inch, baking dish.
8. SET ASIDE berry mixture.
9. PLACE flour in a large bowl.
10. ADD 3 tablespoons sugar.
11. ADD baking powder.
12. CUT IN butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
13. STIR IN cream to make a soft dough.
14. DROP spoonfuls of dough over berry mixture.
15. SPRINKLE remaining 1 tablespoon sugar over dough.
16. BAKE about 50 minutes or until top is well browned and juices are bubbly.
17. SERVE warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Guaranteed to Not Be Soggy!

We're talking about Double Crusted Blackberry Cobbler from the South! North Carolina to be exact. Anne Byrne, who wrote the new cookbook Baking in the American South, came to Tonia's Kitchen to talk about Ma Hoyle's Double Crust Blackberry Cobbler. The story behind the delicious dessert comes to us from Gastonia, North Carolina, west of Charlotte. Ma Hoyle ran a boardinghouse there in 1930s, and this cobbler was among the many dishes served to hungry guests. It's a real taste of the old south, and if you don't like blackberries, Anne says you can make it with any soft fruit!

Serves 12 Prep: 30 minutes Bake: 58 to 67 minutes 

DOUBLE CRUSTS 

2 1/4 cups all- purpose flour, plus more for rolling

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks/170grams) butter or cold vegetable shortening, cut into tablespoon-size pieces

3/4 cup cold whole milk

FILLING

9 cups blackberries (about 48 ounces or four 12-ouncepackages/1361 grams) or a mix of berries

2 1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons all- purpose flour8 tablespoons (1 stick/114 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 to 2 tablespoons milk for brushing2 tablespoons granulated sugar or cinnamon- sugar for sprinkling

1.Heat the oven to 375ºF, with a rack in the middle.

2.Make the double crusts: Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Scatter the butter or shortening on top of the flour and toss to coat with your fingers. Pulse 8 to 9 times to blend the butter into the flour. Add the milk and pulse until a soft dough forms. Set aside.

3.Make the filling: Place the blackberries in a large bowl. Stir the sugar and flour in a small bowl and fold into the berries, tossing to combine.

4.Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and divide in half. Roll each half into roughly a10- to 12-by-8-inch rectangle. Cut each rectangle into four 2-inch strips. Spoon half of the sweetened blackberries in a 10-inch square or 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Dot with half of the butter. Arrange 4 strips of pastry over the berries, leaving space between each. Place in the oven and bake until the pastry just begins to brown, 28 to 32 minutes.

5.Meanwhile, place the remaining sweetened blackberries in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stiruntil the sugar on the berries begins to dissolve into a syrup, then turn the heat down to low and bring toa simmer, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, 25 minutes. Keep the fruit at a low simmer whilethe first half of the cobbler bakes. If it thickens too quickly, turn off the heat.

6.Remove the pan from the oven and spoon the cooked fruit and juices from the saucepan on top of thepastry. Dot with the remaining butter. Lay the remaining 4 pastry strips on top, brush them with themilk, and sprinkle with the sugar or cinnamon-sugar. Place in the oven to bake until golden brown andbubbly, 30 to 35 minutes.

7.Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Serve warm in bowls

Summer Cobbler

     



As you host those summer food parties, you might be looking for a way to feed a lot of people dessert.  Pastry chef Paula Shoyer says there's an easy way to satisfy a lot of sweet teeth at once!  She told Tonia's Kitchen to consider the fruit cobbler.  Paula told Tonia that not only is it delicious, but it also feeds up to 20 people!  She says the key to her recipe is to put the fruit compote on the bottom the pan, with the crust on top. Paula also says you might want to consider chickpea flour, which gives the cobbler a subtle nutty flavor.

• 8 cups mixed berried and fruit (I used blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and mangoes)
• ½ cup brown sugar (I used coconut palm sugar)
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ¼ cup potato starch
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup brown sugar, packed (I used coconut palm sugar)
• 1½ cups almond meal
• 1 Tbsp potato starch
• 5 Tbsp dairy free margarine (I used butter)

Instructions

1. Place the fruit in a 9x13 pan.
2. Combine the brown sugar, ginger and ¼ cup potato starch and toss with the fruit.
3. In another bowl, mix together the cinnamon, brown sugar, almond meal, potato starch and margarine until crumbly.
4. Sprinkle the almond mixture over the fruit.
5. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40 minutes or until the fruit is bubbly.
6. Let cool from hot to warm before eating.
7. This is really good served with vanilla ice cream