Blueberry Cobbler

Ever since I found this recipe for blueberry cobbler, I refuse to use anything else...period. The recipe is adapted from Joy of Cooking and I've yet to cook a recipe from this book that didn't taste good. It's really one of my cooking "bibles," I know I can refer to it without any hesitation. The lime zest is a surprising ingredient...but it brings out the flavor of the blueberries. A regular cobbler dough will work fine...but the sour cream flavor in this recipe just takes it to a whole different level.

I used the last of the fresh blueberries from our trip to make this cobbler. I was so looking forward to making a cobbler with fresh blueberries, and let me tell you...I wasn't disappointed. The berries didn't need much sugar, and when I took that first bite...all the juices just burst in my mouth...it was awesome!

Blueberry Cobbler

*3 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and patted dry (frozen berries can substituted)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons freshly grated lime zest, divided

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup half and half

Additional cream and sugar for the top of the cobbler

*If you use frozen blueberries, do not thaw before using. Decrease the oven temperature to 350 and bake for about 1 hour. This will ensure the berries thaw completely and the crust is baked through.

Wash the berries and let them dry on a sheet pan with several layers of paper towels. I let these sit out for a couple of hours.

Have ready a 2-quart baking dish, (round, square, rectangular, whatever melts your butter). It needs to be about 2 inches deep.

In a large bowl, toss the blueberries with the 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon lime zest and flour.

Set aside while you gather the dry ingredients together. (If you're using frozen berries, make the dough first, so the berries stay frozen). Spread evenly into your baking dish.

In another bowl, combine the flour, remaining lime zest, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and baking soda.

Add the 5 tablespoons of butter, and use a pastry cutter (I just use my hands) to work it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs, with a few pieces of butter visible.

Whisk the sour cream and half and half together, and then add it to the flour mixture.

Stir the flour and creams together gently just until a soft dough forms. This will be rather sticky, so lightly dust your work surface with some more flour and turn the dough out.

Sprinkle a little more flour on top, and pat the dough together...

and then form into a nice flat round, just big enough to cover your baking dish. This isn't a pie, so it doesn't have to be perfect.

Lay your dough over the berries, and pat into place. This dough is soft...mine actually split right down the middle, but I just pushed it back together...no problem!

Cut at least 3 vent holes into the top. I did four, because last time I made this cobbler, the juices bubbles out all over the place.

Brush the dough with the half and half, and sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons of sugar. The cream will help the dough brown while it bakes, and the sugar adds a sweet crunch.

Bake the cobbler for 45-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, and you see berry juices bubbling up in the middle of the cobbler. Adjust your baking time accordingly if you're using frozen blueberries.

About halfway through the baking time, check on the vent holes. Since this dough is soft, the vent have a tendency to close up during baking. If that happens, just use a small knife to poke open the vent holes again.

Mercy...doesn't that look good?

Let the cobbler cool for 15 minutes before serving. You don't want to serve it screaming hot...and this gives the juices a little time to set up.

I usually serve this with vanilla ice cream, but we'd been on an ice cream kick lately...so I broke out some whipped topping instead.

Rebecca had been waiting and waiting for dessert, so when she finally got her bowl, she took a HUGE bite and said, "Mommy, this is SOOOO yummy." Let me tell y'all...it was DIVINE :-).

I couldn't help but think...if heaven could be placed on a spoon and eaten, this is what it would taste like. Now all you have to do is make one yourself :-).

God bless your table tonight!