Martha Stewart Best Berry Cobbler

Martha Stewart Best Berry Cobbler is an easy dessert made with blackberries or raspberries, cold butter biscuit dough and a touch of cinnamon, ready in 1 hour 30 minutes. This make-ahead-friendly summer dessert fits cookouts, Fourth of July and potluck nights, and it tastes best with vanilla ice cream.

Keep the butter and heavy cream cold until the moment they go into the flour, because that is what makes the biscuits rise tall and flaky. Warm butter melts into the dough and gives you dense, greasy topping instead.

Martha cuts the dough into 9 squares and spaces them over the fruit instead of spreading one layer, so steam escapes and the berries stay jammy underneath. Her cinnamon and cornstarch mix also thickens the juices without muting the berry flavor.

Martha Stewart Best Berry Cobbler

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Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

9

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Calories

340

kcal

Jammy, bubbling berries sit under golden biscuit squares that turn crisp on top and tender where they touch the fruit. The sugar-dusted tops crackle a little, so each spoonful has both crunch and soft juicy bites.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  

• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  

• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  

• 4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  

• 3/4 cup cold heavy cream, plus more for brushing
  

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more if needed
  

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, plus more if needed
  

• 6 cups (3 pints) blackberries or raspberries
  

• Sanding sugar, for sprinkling
  

• Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
  

Directions

• Mix the dry ingredients: Preheat the oven to 375°F, then pulse 1 1/2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt in a food processor. You can also whisk them together by hand in a large bowl.
• Cut in the butter: Add 4 ounces cold cubed butter and process until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Use a pastry blender or two forks if you are working by hand.
• Add the cream: Move the mixture to a large bowl if needed, then pour in 3/4 cup cold heavy cream in a slow, steady stream while stirring with a wooden spoon. Stop as soon as the dough just comes together.
• Cut the dough: Pat the dough into a square on your work surface. Then cut it into 9 equal squares.
• Toss the berries: Whisk 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 3 tablespoons cornstarch in a bowl. Add 6 cups blackberries or raspberries and toss gently until they are coated.
• Assemble the cobbler: Spoon the berries into an 8-inch square baking dish, then set the dough squares on top with even spacing. Brush the dough with heavy cream and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
• Catch the drips: Set the dish on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet fitted with a wire rack, so any bubbling juices land on the sheet. Laying foil on the rack below the cobbler works too.
• Bake until bubbling: Bake for 50 to 75 minutes, until the berries bubble in the center and the biscuits turn golden brown. If the tops brown too fast, tent them with foil.
• Cool and serve: Transfer the dish to a wire rack and let it cool for about 30 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if you like.

Tools for this recipe

• Cuisinart 14-cup food processor, USA Pan 8x8 square cake pan, Reynolds unbleached parchment paper. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

What if my berries are too sour or too juicy?

Taste the berries before you toss them. If they are sour, add an extra 1/4 cup sugar, and if they look very juicy, add 1 extra teaspoon cornstarch so the filling sets properly.

Can I use frozen berries?

Frozen berries work, though they release more liquid as they bake. Toss them with the sugar mixture while still frozen and add the extra teaspoon of cornstarch. Then expect the bake to run toward the longer end of the 50 to 75 minute range.

Can I make the biscuit dough ahead of time?

You can cut the dough into squares and chill them on a plate, covered, for a few hours. Keep the berries separate until you are ready to bake, because the juices will soften the dough if they sit together.

How do I store leftover cobbler?

Cover the dish and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat portions in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes so the biscuit tops crisp up again, since the microwave makes them soft.

Why are my biscuits pale or doughy underneath?

Pale tops usually mean the cream brush or sanding sugar was skipped, since both help browning. Doughy bottoms mean the berries were not bubbling yet, so keep baking until the juices bubble in the center, tenting with foil if the tops darken.