The directions for this old-fashioned Fruit Cobbler are short and sweet. It is a great recipe to feature seasonal fruit as a deliciously satisfying conclusion to any meal. While still warm, top with whipped cream or ice cream and enjoy!

Mama Jean's Great Cobbler baked with Blackberries in a 9"x13" glass pan and served in a basket set on a vintage floral handkerchief. — Blackberry Cobbler in a 9″x13″ baking dish.

Sweet and Simple – Fruit Cobbler

How many cobblers have you eaten this summer? I feel like I have fallen a few behind. Summer got off to a late start here in the Pacific Northwest and I haven’t had as many opportunities as I would like to indulge in the fruits of the season.

Luckily, there is still time. While it is almost September, dark luscious blackberries are still nestled on their brambles in this part of the country. I can’t help but be drawn to their plump forms dotting the road side and edging the parks and trails this time of year. The tart-sweet flavor of a perfectly ripe blackberry warmed by the summer sun is irresistible.

Designated a noxious weed, blackberries are so abundant in this part of the country that in late summer enough for a cobbler can be foraged with ease. The canes those blackberries grow on may be an invasive threat but the fruit they bear is an end-of-summer blessing. It just doesn’t seem like I have fully appreciated summer if I haven’t gathered at least a few blackberries from a thorny bramble and made them into Summer Berry Basil Sauce, a Berry Crisp or other dessert.

Finding the Best Old-fashioned Recipes

This time last year I was looking for a new way to use the blackberries I had gathered. My sister-in-law had great things to say about a fruit cobbler our cousin Gina shared with her. She thought it was delicious and it sounded easy to make. I messaged Gina and asked if she would share the recipe. She sent a photo from her mom’s cookbook, my Aunt Noni. The recipe was attributed to her mother, my great grandmother, Mama Jean.

Mama Jean's Great Cobbler baked with Pears in a pumpkin colored baking dish. — A half-sized Pear Cobbler using Mama Jean’s basic recipe for Great Cobbler.

This recipe, written large in an old-fashioned cursive hand, is a classic depression-era recipe. The instructions are short and sweet. I elaborated just a bit and made a couple of minor changes, like using butter instead of margarine, specifying pan size and adding to the time as was necessary for my home’s oven.

Making a Great Dessert

The steps to make Mama Jean’s Great Cobbler are simple. Melt butter. Stir together a simple batter. Layer it with seasonal fruit. Then relish the scent of that fruit warming to juicy perfection as the biscuit browns to a golden hue.

In the end, what makes this cobbler “Great” is the quality of the deliciously ripe seasonal fruit that goes into it. The basic biscuit batter provides a medium for dressing that fruit with a crispy edge and a soft center while presenting it as a happy conclusion to a satisfying meal.

When summer is over Mama Jean’s Great Fruit Cobbler can still serve as a template for enjoying fruit at its seasonal best. Minor variations in the written recipe are welcome and encouraged. Use whatever fruit is easily available. Last summer I tried peaches in this recipe. In the fall I used pears. Add brown sugar instead of white. Throw in a pinch of ginger or cinnamon, a dash of vanilla. Drizzle maple syrup or honey on top instead of the last 1/4 of sugar. Most of all, breath deeply. Relish the scent of deliciously ripe fruit, embellished with sugar and spice, warming to juicy perfection in a golden biscuit crust. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream. Enjoy!