Carpe Diem

Well this is it. For years I've been telling myself I should do this and I finally decided today is the day. My reasons for starting this blog are simple: I love baking and wanted a way to record my adventures (some glorious, some disastrous) as I navigate recipes and aspire to broaden my knowledge of the pastry arts. Will anyone read? Will anyone care? These questions are mute as merely starting and maintaining this blog will be my reward in and of itself. I look forward to eventually sitting down and looking back on weeks (months even?) worth of posts detailing my baking exploits. So without further adieu...

I have a garden. Actually I should call it my husband's garden since he's the one who puts in the required labor to maintain it–I just reap the benefits :) When we broke ground for it three years ago, we thought it would be nice to have a raspberry and blackberry bush. Little did we know, what was an off the cuff decision at the time has now turned into two monstrous bushes that are threatening to take over the entire backyard (I'm exaggerating but seriously, they're at least ten feet tall and fifteen feet wide). Since they only produce fruit on the previous years canes, this is the first year we've really been able to enjoy a decent harvest.

We've been planning a small trip to see my husband's grandmother this weekend and since it's also her birthday, it seemed appropriate to bring a celebratory dessert. When I came across this recipe for a blackberry cobbler I jumped at the opportunity to bake, for the first time, using fruit from my very own garden. What a thrill! I suspect she'll love it.

Blackberry-Peach Jam Cobbler

Adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody who adapted it from Gourmet June 1996 Denise Maguire: Saint Petersburg, Florida
 
4 ounces unsalted butter, divided
1 cup water
1 cup plus 2 TBSP granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 TBSP all purpose flour
2 TBSP brown sugar
3 cups fresh blackberries (about 1 pound)
5 TBSP good quality Peach Preserves

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a medium sized bowl, toss blackberries with all purpose flour and brown sugar. Set aside.
In a 10-inch glass pie plate or baking dish melt 1/2 stick (2 ounces) butter in oven.
In a small saucepan combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar and heat over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is completely dissolved.
In a food processor pulse together flour and remaining 1/2 stick butter (cut into dime size pieces) until mixture resembles fine meal. Add cream, vanilla, cinnamon and salt, and pulse just until a dough forms.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and with a floured rolling pin roll into an 11- by 9-inch rectangle.
Brush peach jam on top of dough evenly and scatter blackberry mixture evenly over top.
Beginning with a long side roll up dough jelly-roll fashion and cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices. (Slices will come apart and be messy…really messy).
Arrange slices, cut sides up, on melted butter in pie plate or baking dish. Pour sugar syrup over slices, soaking dough, and bake cobbler in middle of oven 45 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over cobbler and bake 15 minutes more, or until golden.
Serve cobbler warm with ice cream
Serves 6