Sohnne’s Mama’s Double-Decker Blackberry Cobbler
This recipe is from Laura Emma, the mother of my friend Sohnne Hill. Sohnne says it was one of her mother’s favorites. After testing it, I know why. Packed with an abundance of fruit, hiding a tender layer of crust in its midst, and topped with a crisp, golden brown top, it is the ultimate comfort dessert.
Recipe information
Yield
8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
Crust
Filling
Preparation
Step 1
TO MAKE THE CRUST: Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with butter or cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together the 1 cup sugar, the 6 cups flour, and salt. Cut 1 cup of the butter into 1/2-inch cubes. Add the butter cubes and shortening to the flour mixture and work with your hands until the mixture looks crumbly, with bits of dough the size of baby peas. (The butter and shortening should be evenly distributed.) Add the cold water, 1/4 cup at a time, lightly mixing it in with your hands after each addition. After adding 1 cup of the water, pinch a small bit of dough to see if it holds together. If it is still too dry, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it holds together. Divide the dough in half, then divide 1 of the halves in half again. Gently fashion each hunk of dough into a ball (you’ll have 3), cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Step 2
TO MAKE THE BERRY FILLING: Combine the berries and sugar in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the berries just begin to simmer, about 10 minutes, or a little less if you are using fresh berries. In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/3 cup flour and 1/2 cup cold water, making sure there are no lumps. Add the flour-water mixture to the berries and cook over medium heat until the liquid begins to simmer and the mixture has thickened slightly, about 4 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract. Remove from the heat.
Step 3
TO ASSEMBLE THE COBBLER: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Unwrap the largest dough ball and set it on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out into a 1/8-inch-thick square large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the prepared baking pan with about 2 inches to spare on all sides.
Step 4
To keep the dough from sticking, gently lift it and rotate it periodically as you roll it out, adding more flour underneath if needed. Drape the dough over the bottom of the prepared pan so that it comes up the sides and hangs over the pan’s edges evenly. Add half of the berry mixture. Roll out the remaining 2 balls of dough to 1/8 inch thick, making sure that each is about an 8-inch square. Cut the dough into strips about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place a line of parallel strips over the berries in the pan. The strips do not need to touch, but place them close together. Cover with the remaining berries. Arrange the remaining dough strips in a crisscross pattern on top of the berries. Cut the remaining 1/4 cup of chilled butter into bits. Dot the dough with bits of butter and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Bake until the top crust is golden brown and the berry mixture is bubbling, 25 to 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.
