Don't Mess with Texas-Style Blueberry Cobbler

A cobbler made with a thick, pancake-like batter? Really? Read on for the recipe and why it works.

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Many of us know cobbler to be a jammy fruit base with a baked biscuit topping, the method we use for our classic Blueberry Cobbler. However, in the Lone Star State, they start with the batter on the bottom and the fruit on top. This version is more dense and cake-like than the traditional recipe, but don't take our word for it: Make both versions to find out if you like your berries on the top or the bottom.

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Follow these steps to make a cobbler fit for a Texan:


1. First, melt butter right in the baking pan. It gives the finished cobbler rich, crisp edges.


2. Next, pour the batter into the baking pan over the melted butter.


3. Finally, scatter on the mashed berries. In the oven, the batter rises over the berries.

RECIPE: TEXAS-STYLE BLUEBERRY COBBLER



WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: While many think of cobbler as juicy fruit under a biscuit topping, in the Lone Star state it's more like a fruit-packed snack cake. A thick batter is poured into a well-greased, preheated baking dish and topped with a mixture of smashed berries and sugar. As the cobbler bakes, the batter puffs around the fruit, leaving you with pockets intermingled with cake and berries and a chewy, buttery perimeter. We're not picking favorites on styles, but this cobbler is a new winner in our baking repertoire.

Serves 8 to 10

Keep a close eye on the butter as it melts in the oven so that it doesn't scorch. Place the hot baking dish with butter on a wire rack after removing it from the oven. Avoid untreated aluminum pans here. If using frozen blueberries, thaw them first.

4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 4 pieces, and 8 tablespoons melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
15 ounces (3 cups) blueberries
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk


1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place 4 tablespoons cut-up butter in 13 by 9-inch baking dish and transfer to oven. Heat until butter is melted, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, pulse ¼ cup sugar and lemon zest in food processor until combined, about 5 pulses; set aside. Using potato masher, mash blueberries and 1 tablespoon lemon sugar together in bowl until berries are coarsely mashed.

3. Combine flour, remaining 1¼ cups sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Whisk in milk and 8 tablespoons melted, cooled butter until smooth. Remove baking dish from oven, transfer to wire rack, and pour batter into prepared pan.

4. Dollop mashed blueberry mixture evenly over batter, sprinkle with remaining lemon sugar, and bake until golden brown and edges are crisp, 45 to 50 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let cobbler cool on wire rack for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

This recipe was originally published in Cook's Country magazine. Subscribe today and get a free gift.