Mixed Berry Cobbler

I love fresh berries - they're definitely one of the best parts of summer. I saw a recipe for blueberry cobbler in Cook's Illustrated's Baking Book, and thought it would be nice to change the recipe a little and add strawberries and raspberries as well. It tasted so delicious that I will be making it again for a 4th of July party this weekend! The recipe would really work with any mix of berries, as long as the weight of the fruit adds up to about 30 ounces. This cobbler is wonderful: sweet and juicy, with just the right amount of tart. I love serving it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. Enjoy!

Here's the recipe:

For the filling

• 16 ounces fresh strawberries
• 8 ounces blueberries
• 8 ounces raspberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1tbsp. lemon juice & zest of half a lemon

For the topping

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt.
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• zest of half a lemon

1. Place rimmed baking sheet in the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Wash and slice strawberries. Place them in a large bowl. 

3. Wash blueberries and raspberries as well. Add them to the strawberries, along with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and zest. Combine, and allow the berries to sit in the sugar mixture for about half an hour. 

Extra picture because the fruit looks absolutely gorgeous 

Ready to mix!

4. Add the fruit to a pie plate and bake for 25 minutes. 

5. While the fruit is baking, - start to work on the biscuit topping. Whisk flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. 

Whisking the dry ingredients actually works to sift them together!

6. Melt 4 tbsp. of butter fully. In a large bowl, whisk 1/3 cup of buttermilk, lemon zest, and vanilla extract with  melted butter.

7. One minute before the fruit comes out of the oven, combine wet and dry ingredients. Whisk quickly until just combined.

8. Once fruit has been taken out of the oven, increase the temperature to 425 degrees. Combine the dough into a large ball with your hands, then split into 8 roughly shaped even spheres.

9. Arrange balls of dough on the pie plate of baked fruit. Leave about an inch between each piece, as the dough will expand while baking.

10. Bake for about 18 minutes, turning the around halfway through to ensure even baking. The cobbler is done when the biscuits are a light golden brown on top, and the fruit is bubbling (as shown below). Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!