BOOK/A TABLE - Blackberry Raspberry Cobbler

I’ve always felt exhilarated after finishing a particularly long book, or one that’s taken me a long time to get around to reading. While Stendhal’s The Red and the Black isn’t exactly short, it definitely falls into that latter category—I’d been meaning to read the book for about 40 years, ever since I heard it referenced in a Stephen Sondheim lyric from A Little Night Music, back when I was in high school and cultivating my love of the muscial theater! I’d never heard of The Red and the Black before that and for some reason it stuck, like a raspberry seed in my teeth.

Certainly, I’m glad to have finally checked Stendhal’s epic off my reading list and yes, I did enjoy it. Throughout the novel, the intriguing hero Julien Sorel is in a constant personal battle between a career in the military (symbolized by red) and the church (black) while juggling a few mesdames and mademoiselles thrown into the mix for an unexpected ending.   

This recipe for a cobbler with red raspberries and blackberries struck me as the perfect homage to the book I’d finally finished—as well as a fantastic finish for any adventurous meal. 

Do enjoy!

Blackberry Raspberry Cobbler
By Lori Lange
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients
FILLING:
½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1 medium lemon, zested
3 cups blackberries
1 cup raspberries

BATTER:
1 cup self rising flour
¾ cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup milk

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.

MAKE THE FILLING:
To a 9x13 baking dish, add the melted butter.
In a medium bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest and rub together. Add the blackberries and raspberries, and toss to coat. Spoon them evenly on top of the butter in the baking dish.

MAKE THE BATTER:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the milk (the batter will be thick).
Spoon the batter on top of the berries. There might be spots it doesn’t cover, and that’s okay.
Bake until the fruit in the cobbler is bubbling up at the edges and a toothpick inserted into the cobbler batter on top comes out clean (about 20 minutes).

 
The cobbler will be too hot to eat when it comes out of the oven, so let it cool for about 30 minutes. Serve topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.