Blackberry Cobbler

I am the cook that I am today because of my MoMo Fontenot. In fact, she has inspired almost every single thing that I prepare for my family on a regular basis. My ultimate dream is that as Corrie gets a little bigger, I will be able to pass along my love of cooking and the legacy of MoMo Fontenot to her.... After all, I AM MoMo 2.0, so it only seems natural, right?!

I lost MoMo Fontenot in August 2008, just 7 weeks after I moved to Denmark. And then in June 2013, I lost my mom, just 6 weeks after I moved back from Denmark. Some days my sense of loss surrounding my love for those 2 ladies is all consuming, and on those days, I cook. I cook something intentional, something that will soothe my soul and remind me of them. Yesterday, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2014, was one of those days.

The house was quiet and my heart was aching, so I pulled out my old recipe cards from Mo and decided it was time to fill the house with the smells of her Blackberry Cobbler. It was so familiar and it eased the ache in my heart just a little.

I was asked by quite a few friends and even a few family members to please share this recipe, so here you go! I hope that it brings as much happiness to you and your family as it does to me and mine! 

Mix the following to make your batter:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Set aside.

Heat the oven to 350. As soon as it reaches 350, put 1/4 stick of butter in the bottom of your baking dish (An 8" square pan works, but I use my Pampered Chef round stone deep dish baker.) and then place the baking dish in the oven to melt the butter. 

Meanwhile place 1 1/2 cups of fresh blackberries* in a saucepan with 3-4 TBSP sugar and 1/2 cup water. Heat until the sugar dissolves and the berries soften. Be careful not to break them as you stir.

Pull the baking dish out as soon as the butter is melted (make sure it does not scorch). Pour your batter into the dish on top of the butter. 

Once your berries are softened, add cornstarch to the saucepan to thicken it just a bit...making sure it's not too thick! 

Next, pour the berry mixture on top of the batter. It should seep through the batter, but do not stir it. It should ooze through the batter on its own.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Serve warm.

And if you have any leftovers, heat them in the microwave for about 20 seconds before serving. Trust me--this tastes BEST warm!

*Note: Mo always had blackberries in the garden because PaPa Fontenot always grew them to make his wine, but the kind you buy at the grocery store work just as well! :-)