Blueberry Cobbler with Maple, Lemon & Sour Cream Cornmeal Biscuits

Northwest farmers markets are overflowing with fresh blueberries this month. I bought two heaping pints at the Hillsdale Farmers Market today and was all set to make a Blueberry Crisp along the lines of Balaton Cherry & Lime Crisp with Toasted Almond Streusel. But then I suddenly remembered the Ginger-Lime Peach & Blueberry Crisp with Toasted Hazelnut Streusel that I shared with you last year around this time.

To avoid being unduly repetitive, I decided on a Blueberry Cobbler instead, even though I am no fan of the usual cobblers that pop up in restaurants every fall. The fruit is often nondescript and soggy, with a ho-hum biscuit topping that always make me wish I had ordered a Fruit Crisp instead.

This Blueberry Cobbler is from a different universe however. The berries are evocatively enhanced with maple syrup, lemon, and cinnamon. The biscuits are crisp on the top and tender on the interior, with a subtle tang from the addition of sour cream and lemon. And the whole dessert goes together in under 20 minutes.

But first a bit of research was in order. What the heck is a cobbler and how does it differ from a crisp?

A Fruit Cobbler is comprised of a juicy fruit base with a thick, crusty biscuit or sturdy cake topping. The biscuit dough or thick cake batter can be dropped on top of the fruit in mounds or in the case of biscuit dough, cut into rounds or squares and arranged in a pattern on top of the fruit. A Fruit Cobbler is usually much less sweet and butter-laden than a Fruit Crisp. I feel no guilt at all in eating a Fruit Cobbler for breakfast, for instance.

A Fruit Crisp (called a Fruit Crumble in the UK), on the other hand, is comprised of a juicy fruit base with a crunchy, crumbly topping (streusel) consisting of an amalgam of flour (and sometimes nuts, oatmeal, cereal, or bread crumbs) and copious quantities of butter and sugar. I feel just a little guilt eating it for breakfast.

Blueberry Lemon-Maple Cobbler with Sour Cream Cornmeal Biscuit Topping

There’s nothing “fancy” about this blueberry cobbler. It’s a rather plain-looking, not too sweet, country dessert with the honest taste of fresh, juicy fruit topped with tender, tangy biscuits.

However, the flavor pairing here is magic. The maple, lemon and cinnamon amplify the flavor of the blueberries in a surprising way.

unsalted butter to coat the baking dish
Blueberry Maple Lemon Cobbler Filling
Sour Cream Cornmeal Cobbler Biscuit Dough

Finishing
2 tablespoons granulated or turbinado sugar

Embellishment
homemade or premium quality vanilla ice cream
-or-
lightly whipped and sweetened cream

1. Prepare Blueberry Maple Lemon Cobbler Filling (below).
2. Butter a 9-by-9-inch, 12-cup capacity, ceramic baking dish.
3. Fill the baking dish with the filling.
4. Prepare Sour Cream Cornmeal Cobbler Biscuit Dough (below).
5. Scoop the dough into nine mounds on top of the blueberries. (I used a ¼-cup release-style scoop.)
6. Sprinkle biscuits with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
7. Bake at 425°F for 35-40 minutes, until berries are bubbling and biscuits are golden brown.
8. Remove from the oven and let set up a bit on a wire rack. All cobblers are best served warm and only a few hours from the oven.

Makes one 9-by-inch, 12-cup capacity cobbler; serves 6-8.

Blueberry Maple Lemon Cobbler Filling

This filling can be used as a base for a cobbler, crisp, or a streusel topped pie. It’s the perfect quantity for a 12-cup capacity baking dish or pie pan.

6 cups blueberries, carefully cleaned (2 pounds)
6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
¼ cup sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
finely grated zest of 2 large lemons
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1. To prepare the filling, in a large mixing bowl, gently combine the blueberries, maple syrup, sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Let macerate in the fridge at least ½ hour.
2. Use as the base for a cobbler, crisp, or streusel-topped pie.

Enough for one 12-cup capacity cobbler, crisp, or pie.

Sour Cream Cornmeal Cobbler Biscuit Dough

This exceptionally tender cobbler biscuit dough is enriched with sour cream and freshly grated lemon zest, which give it an added tangy flavor dimension. To add a textural component, and even more flavor, cornmeal is also included. You can use this biscuit topping for just about any cobbler fruit base. It’s the perfect quantity for a 12-cup capacity baking dish or pie pan.

1½ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour (6¾ ounces)
½ cup fine cornmeal (2½ ounces)
finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold

1 cup whole sour cream
¼ cup whole or 2% milk

Finishing
2 tablespoons granulated or turbinado sugar

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, lemon zest, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. With a pastry blender or your cold fingertips, cut in the butter until it resembles very coarse crumbs.
3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream and milk. Stir the sour cream-milk mixture into the flour mixture.
4. Use as the topping for a cobbler, crisp, or streusel-topped pie.

Makes nine, ¼-cup biscuits; enough for one 12-cup capacity cobbler, crisp, or pie.

More Fabulous Blueberry Recipes from LunaCafe

• Blueberry Lavender Limeade
• Blueberry Lemon-Ginger Sauce
• Blueberry Lemon Verbena Spritzer with Candied Ginger Ice Cream
• Blueberry, Lime & Lavender Sauce
• Blueberry, Lime & Rose Petal Cheesecake
• Blueberry, Lime & Rose Petal Sauce
• Ginger-Lime Peach & Blueberry Crisp with Toasted Hazelnut Streusel
• Fresh Blueberry Lime Sauce
• Spicy Blueberry Ginger Chutney

Cookin’ with Gas (inspiration from around the web)

• Difference Between: Difference Between Cobbler and Crisp
• The Kitchn: The Definitive Cobbler: Nectarine Cobbler from Bon Appéit
• The Kitchn: What’s the Difference? Crumbles, Grunts, Cobblers, and Buckles

Happy Cooking!

 Copy­right 2013 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.