It was only a matter of time. Ever since I first spotted not martha’s blueberry cobbler in jars (and you can make pies! and cakes!), I’ve been waiting for a suitable occasion. They’re super cute, of course, but I needed to justify making dessert in jars rather than a regular glass dish. That’s where Greg’s already-mentioned-and-blogged birthday came in handy. He made two requests: 1) that we go on a picnic and 2) that his birthday dessert be something I could blog about. Isn’t he cute? Anyway, a picnic was the perfect excuse to use jars instead of a dish. Easy to pack, serve, eat and clean! Greg also happens to LOVE fruit. Ohmygoodness, could it be more perfect?
The cobbler was super easy to make (the math to adjust the recipe was definitely the hardest part) and it was SO tasty, too! For whatever reason, I only had three canning jars. I also didn’t buy enough berries for a full batch, so the three jars ended up being just right. Silly, I know. If you’re just a bit more prepared than I was, this recipe won’t disappoint.
Berry Cobbler
adapted from notmartha.org and the Baking Illustrated recipe she used.
Supplies:
6 pint jars or 12 1/2 pint jars (mine were wide-mouthed 1 pint jars, fyi)
Berry Mixture:
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
6 cups fresh or frozen mixed berries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for sprinkling)
2 teaspoons sugar (for sprinkling)
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Stir the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl. Add the berries and mix gently with a rubber spatula until evenly coated; add the lemon juice and mix to combine.
3. Divide evenly between jars. Place jars on a rimmed cookie sheet. (I lined mine with foil in case of berry overflow but didn’t have any problems.)
4. Bake until the filling is hot and bubbling, about 25 minutes (30 for frozen berries).
5. Mix the 2 teaspoons sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.
6. Whisk the flour, cornmeal, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl to combine. Whisk the melted butter, buttermilk and vanilla together in a small bowl. Just before taking the berries out of the oven, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; stir with a rubber spatula until just combined and no dry pockets remain.
7. Remove the jars of berries from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees.
8. Divide dough into equal pieces and carefully place one in each jar on top of of the hot berries. Sprinkle each with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
9. Bake until the filling is bubbling, and the biscuits are golden brown on top and cooked through, 15-20 minutes.
10. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes before serving.