A great cobbler is all about the contrast between bubbling, juicy fruit and a golden, baked biscuit topping. In this recipe, ripe nectarines and plump blackberries create a sweet-tart filling that bubbles beneath a layer of tender, buttery drop biscuits with toasty edges. Rather than rolling or cutting the dough, spoonfuls of soft biscuit dough are dropped directly over the fruit, forming crisp, golden mounds with fluffy centers.
As the cobbler bakes, the biscuits soak up just enough of the bubbling nectarine and blackberry juices while still holding their buttery texture. The result is a perfect contrast of jammy fruit and light, flaky biscuits, delivering a balance of fresh summer flavor and comforting, homemade goodness.
Serve it warm on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a timeless seasonal dessert.
Nectarine and Blackberry Cobbler
Active time: 30 to 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
8 ripe nectarines, pitted, sliced about 1/4-inch thick
8 ounces fresh blackberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Pinch of kosher salt
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces (to dot)
Topping
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the nectarines, blackberries, sugar, flour, lemon juice, zest, cardamom and salt in a large bowl. Toss gently to coat.
Spread the fruit in an 8-by-10-inch baking dish. Dot the top of the fruit with the pieces of butter.
Make the topping: Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom in a bowl. Whisk to blend.
Add the butter: With your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal with only pea-sized chunks of butter remaining.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk and vanilla. Mix with a spatula until the dry ingredients are just moistened; do not overmix.
Scoop the biscuit batter over the fruit in 10 to 12 dollops. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over the tops of the biscuits.
Bake until the biscuits are golden brown and the fruit filling is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool for at least an hour. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Lynda Balslev is an award-winning writer, cookbook author and recipe developer, and authors the blog TasteFood.
