Blackberries are in season during the hottest summer months, and not only are they sweet and satisfying, but packed with health benefits too. I use them in so many ways, whether baking, making cocktails, paired with other fresh fruits or just for snacking. Blackberries make wonderful jams and jellies, as well as sauces, too. Pair them with pan-seared pork chops for a real sweet and savory treat. 

When I was growing up, I can remember picking blackberries with my dad. We would find them growing wild on the vine, and pick enough to eat, then bring them inside and rinse them off good. He would sprinkle them with a little sugar and a splash of milk and eat them with a spoon right out of the bowl. My dad has always enjoyed blackberries, and from an early age scavenged for them growing up in Middle Georgia. His cousin, Nancy, recalls, “I have a fond memory of when we were all kids, staying over at the Walters Place and picking blackberries,” she said. “Your dad baked a pie. I was amazed at this feat, which was not only interesting and beautiful, but also delicious.” 

I most definitely inherited his love for this fine fruit. During Christmas time, when everyone else is baking Christmas cookies and red velvet cakes, I am in my kitchen making a blackberry lattice pie to take to our family shindig. If you ask me, there’s not a bad time to enjoy blackberries, but like most foods, they are best when eaten in season. Ride out to your local farmers market this month to purchase some local blackberries, and try using them in these new and Some Kinda Good ways:

• Blackberry Smash Cocktail

• Blackberry-Peach Crumble

• Fruit Salad with Garden-Fresh Mint

• Blackberry Lattice Pie

• Blackberry Cobbler

This Blackberry Cobbler recipe is from Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible, and was one of the first desserts I made from the cookbook many years ago. It’s so easy and needs no enhancement. Serve it with cold vanilla ice cream or fresh sweetened whipped cream and garnish with mint. 

Be sure to visit SomeKindaGood.com for these other recipes, plus more easy, summer baking and cooking ideas.

Blackberry Cobbler

Serves 8 – 10     

Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible

Ingredients

• 4 cups blackberries, fresh or frozen

• 2 cups sugar

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, combine the blackberries and 1 cup of sugar and mix well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put butter in a 9x13 casserole dish and place in the oven to melt. Tilt the pan and swirl the butter around to coat all sides. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the milk, slowly to prevent clumping. Pour the batter evenly over the melted butter in the baking dish, but do not stir. Spoon the fruit on top, gently pouring in the syrup. The batter will rise to the top during baking.

Bake until the cobbler is lightly browned and firm to the touch, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.