I love a good cobbler, and berry cobblers are my favorite. They have all of the flavors of pie, but are so much easier to make.
Simple and healthified. This one is made simple by stirring the berry filling ingredients together right in the baking dish. I made a biscuit topping that is considerably healthier than most by using oats, flax seed and whole wheat flour. I added coconut milk & coconut oil in place of the usual butter and buttermilk; the result is a tender, flavorful cobbler topping. If you don't like the taste of coconut--no worries--you can't taste the coconut at all. This recipe is vegan, too.
Get creative with cookie cutters. To dial up the fun factor, I used cookie cutters to cut the biscuit topping into star shapes for the 4th of July. I got the idea from a cobbler recipe in Fine Cooking Magazine. You can use whatever cookie cutter shape you like to customize your cobbler for any special occasion. Heart shapes for Valentine's Day or anniversaries, egg shapes for Easter....you get the idea. You could even use ABC or 123 cookie cutters to spell out words or numbers that fit an occasion. There are endless possibilities.
view on Amazon: assorted cookie cutters, ABC cookie cutters, 123 cookie cutters
Of course, you can skip the cookie cutters and cut the biscuit dough into traditional circles (use an inverted drinking glass) or squares, if you prefer.
Nutritional Information. This cobbler has sugar, so I wouldn't call it health food. But, hey, it's dessert after all and worthy of a splurge. However, the mostly wholesome ingredients make it a better choice than most cobblers. Here's the nutritional breakdown for 1 serving (with the cobbler portioned into 16 servings): 244 calories, 7.9g fat, 187mg sodium, 42.5g carbs, 6.1g fiber 20.3g sugars, 3.1g protein; Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 7
Step-by-step photos for making
Berry & Oat Cookie-Cutter Cobbler
Step 1. Assemble the ingredients.
Here's what you need for the fruit filling:
Here's what you need for the biscuit topping:
view on Amazon: whole wheat pastry flour, flaxseed meal, lite coconut milk, coconut oil, Demerara sugar
Step 2. Prepare the berry filling. Add the berries to a large baking dish, sprinkle on the other ingredients, stir them, and set that baby aside for now. If you are using frozen berries, they do not need to be thawed; I take them directly from the freezer and add them to my baking dish.
Step 3. Make the biscuit dough. Whisk together the dry ingredients, cut in the coconut oil with a pastry blender, and stir in the coconut milk. For tender biscuits, be careful not to overmix or overwork the dough.
view on Amazon: wire whisk, pastry blender
Step 4. Roll and cut the dough into shapes. Turn dough onto floured surface, use floured hands to press it into a ball. Pat or roll the dough to approx. 1/2" thickness, coating hands or rolling pin with flour as needed. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into shapes (you can also use an inverted drinking glass to make round shapes). Leftover scraps of dough may be combined and rolled again to cut additional shapes if needed, depending on the surface area & size of your baking dish (the larger the dish, the more topping you'll need to cover the surface). I used 2 sizes of star-shaped cookie cutters in the photos below.
Step 5. Assemble and bake the cobbler. The biscuit dough is very soft and must be handled gently so the biscuits hold their shape as they're moved. Use a spatula to lift and position each shape on top of the berry filling. You can arrange the shapes in one even layer, or stagger and layer them in a more rustic pattern. That's what I did....there is a layer of larger stars on the bottom with smaller stars staggered around on top. My pan measures 9x13. You can also use a 10x14 dish and spread the biscuits out more. This recipe has plenty of biscuit dough to cover a larger surface. Brush the top lightly with some of the coconut milk (there will be plenty left in the can) and then sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for about an hour.
view on Amazon: pastry brush
The cobbler is done when it is lightly browned on top and bubbling in the center. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Serve it warm or at room temperature. You can top it with whipped cream or ice cream, if you like. For a vegan option, check out Marla's great recipe for Coconut Milk Whipped Cream on her blog Family Fresh Cooking.
The oat biscuit topping is so tender and a flavorful compliment to the berry filling. It's a great combo.
For a smaller version, this recipe may be halved and assembled in a 9" square baking dish or deep dish pie plate.
Make it a Yummy day!
Monica