You will never hear me say that I'm a gourmet chef, or that I can outcook anyone, but you will hear me say that I know my way around a kitchen and that I have absolutely failed my two daughters when it comes to doing that particular feat. I guess what happened was, that maybe I threw the girls out of the kitchen when I was in it so I could get supper ready. I know I had Reuben in there with me to handle the easy things so I could get things made. He's a cook. Maybe I was too busy being a mom to be a teacher and mentor when it came time to learn to cook. I think Caity picked up a few tips, but then there's Laura! Laura still hangs out at the edge of the kitchen waiting for me to finish whatever it is that I'm doing. I could be washing a dish, but she'll stand outside of the room so as not to disturb me. Maybe she remembers me and the wooden spoon -- I don't know. I know she hasn't decided to take up cooking or baking. She is a pro at microwaving though. She'll never die of hunger, she just may never actually experience anything worth eating. I blame myself.
Today, because I could, I decided to make a blueberry cobbler. I actually decided on doing it yesterday, but I didn't have any all-purpose flour and I wasn't about to throw almond flour and coconut flour together for something as Southern as cobbler. I have my priorities. I can all but see my dear Granny up there in Heaven with her new eternal switch! I am not about to fail that woman. She and Aunt Wilma both would roll over in their respective graves, unzip the Earth and swat me hard if I ended up using anything less than real flour. They won't mind if I substitute the sugar for monk fruit, but there's no way I'm doing away with the butter, the buttermilk, or not putting cinnamon in the mix even if it doesn't call for it in the recipe.
Many families opt for going out and picking the blueberries fresh, but we didn't have that option today. I bought a bag of frozen blueberries because (believe it or not) the flavor is really good and they "pop", meaning they hold their own until they need to be eaten and they are firm enough and soft enough to make them really an ideal choice without pieces of twigs or dirt. Just saying. Facts.
If you're interested in the recipe it's really very simple. To prepare the oven and the pan I turn the oven on to 375 and let it get hot while I put all of the ingredients together.
For the blueberries: (and yes, you can use other fruits) I spray a glass pan of either 8x8 or 9x9 inches. I then set the two separate bowls I'm going to need on the counter and add the blueberries to one (about 3 cups) and I add six tablespoons of monk fruit along with 3 or 4 tablespoons of flour to the blueberries and I mix it up. I pour that mix into the sprayed pan and add about 6 slight spoonfuls of butter on top, splitting the butter up so it goes to all the corners and is evenly spaced.
For the top of the cobbler part: In a separate bowl I add 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour with 6 tablespoons of monk fruit, and about 1 tsp of baking powder. I salt it, maybe 1/4 of a tsp, and blend that all together. Then you add a stick of butter, or 3/4 of a stick if you want to, either way, is good, as long as your "dough" has pea-sized combined flour/butter when you're finished blending it. BLENDING IT is the important part. You use two knives to cut the butter into the mix. You don't heat the butter. You blend it or cut it, and when the mix appears to have pea-sized balls rolling around inside the bowl, you're ready to add the buttermilk. You can use half and half with milk if you prefer. You pour the milk in slowly and stir so that the mix becomes gooey and has the consistency of biscuits. (You actually have just made sweet biscuits if you think about it.)
I add the cinnamon or all-spice to it and begin to drop it onto the blueberries in little biscuit-looking shapes. You don't have to be perfect, but you don't want to overdo one side. Make your droppings consistent. Put it in the oven for 35-37 minutes and keep an eye on it to be sure you don't over-brown the top. When it's finished the top will be a golden brown but and the blueberries will be bubbling. DO NOT EAT IT when it's that hot. Bring it out of the oven and let it sit. You'll survive, it's not that long before you can eat it, but get yourself some ice cream and do it right! Some folks add sugar to the top while it's baking. You can if you want. I don't cook with sugar so I tend to just do what I need to.
I was SHOCKED and utterly set beside myself today when my daughter told me she couldn't remember me ever making cobbler for her in the past. Did I really deprive my kids to that point or is she just being obnoxious? I don't want anyone coming by my place to take my Southern Mama card away, but it could be that she was really young the last time I made blueberry cobbler. I've made apple cobbler for her I know, but maybe she's right about the blueberries. Wow. Just...yeah, Wow.
There you go, if you want more info on that you'll just have to make one yourself and see how it all turns out. I wish you the best. I need to go to Braum's while the cobbler is cooking and get some vanilla bean ice cream (no sugar added) and do this the way it should be done! Yep! That's the plan.
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