Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Picking Blueberries and My Cobbler Recipe!


It has been our family tradition to go blueberry picking every Fourth of July. And, part of the tradition is Blueberry Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream. We have been doing the same thing for ten years, and each of us eagerly await the day.


Unfortunately however, waiting until the Fourth this year meant waiting too long. The farm operator where we pick said that this year's peak was two weeks earlier, which meant more difficult picking... and fewer berries. But, on the brighter side, we all had an opportunity to exercise contentment, gratitude and other positive character traits that need exercising from time to time.


We may not have left with enough blueberries to last all winter, but we did leave with plenty for cobbler (plus enough for breakfast these past few days... and for freezing a few quarts too).


My cobbler recipe is an adaptation from Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions. And I guess it is not technically a cobbler since it doesn't have dough on the top. It is more like a Blueberry Crisp. This time around, I increased the recipe by 50% because of the growing appetites in our family. This is one dessert recipe that I don't mind my kids eating a full portion of since it is mostly fruit.


I started with 8 cups of freshly picked, washed blueberries.


Then, I mixed 3 tablespoons of Sucanat and 1 1/2 tablespoons of Arrowroot Powder into the berries. The Sucanat takes a bit of the tart away while the Arrowroot thickens the juice. (You can find Arrowroot in the health food section of most grocery stores. I bought mine at Kroger. For info on Sucanat, check out this previous post and this one too.)

Pour the blueberries into a pan. Since I was increasing the recipe, I couldn't use a pretty tart pan, but used my 9x13 glass pan instead.

For the topping, mix together:

  • 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat or spelt flour
  • 1 1/2 cups of whole oats
  • 3/4 cup of melted butter, we use an awesome amish butter
  • 1/2 cup of Sucanat
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. real vanilla
Gluten Free Note: This can easily be a gluten-free dessert. In Sally Fallon's original recipe, she calls for equal amounts of arrowroot and almond flour instead of wheat and oats. We have tried all combinations of these four ingredients, and each have a very distinct flavor. The arrowroot and almonds have a unique flavor from the arrowroot. We like almonds and oats for its granola-y flare. (You can make your own almond flour by putting almonds in the food processor until they are powdery.) But this time around, I used grain flour for convenience.

Gently press the topping over the blueberries and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Serve with an all-natural or homemade vanilla ice cream... yum!


I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! For more recipes today, check out Blessed With Grace and Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

6 comments:

The Desperate Cook said...

I just love blueberries and have finially gotten my Hubs to like them. I am going to try your recipe on him. Thanks!

Check out my blog for a Christmas in July Giveaway.

Noel said...

oh no! It looks like we've missed out on the blueberries once again - You can never tell when they'll be ready.

The Great Adventure said...

That dessert looks delicious! Thanks for the recipe!

Lisa@BlessedwithGrace said...

Love blueberry recipes!! Thanks for sharing your recipe and joining us for the TMTT anniversary today.

Ilse said...

Souds delicious!

Brenda said...

Sorry you missed your blueberries! My husband and I enjoy picking them too.