Blackberry Cobbler Baby!

One of my most favorite childhood memories is blackberry picking with my family. We lived in Oklahoma, so it was hot and there were so many mosquito's! It didn't even matter, I was thrilled to grab a big plastic jug and head out into the pasture with my siblings! We would get all scratched up and our legs would be stinging, but we LOVED it!... what in the world was wrong with us???? Anyway, when it was all said and done, my mom would make blackberry cobbler, and it was the best!  Thankfully blackberries are abundant where we live now too. So, we take the kids out to pick blackberries all summer! Last year I got the bright idea to train a blackberry vine over the fence and down a trellis into our backyard, that way the berries would be low to the ground so the kids could pick them without much help. It was great! Of course the biggest, juiciest ones are just out of reach, so there I was strategically balanced on one foot leaning half way off a ladder on tippy toe saying to my 4 year old "baby, hold the ladder so mommy doesn't fall"...... what in the world is STILL wrong with me!!!! Oh the things I do for blackberry cobbler!

So, I'm going to share my not exact- no where near precise "recipe" with you! This recipe will be for roughly 4 cups of berries.

Step 1- acquire blackberries- sure you can buy them store bought- but the thrill of nearly loosing a limb to secure the "perfect" berry would have escaped you!

This my friends is the PERFECT blackberry! See how huge and plump and dark it is! Leave the red ones, leave the puny ones- go for the gold...er... black!

Wash the berries- store bought ones too- just rinse in cool water and get any leaves, twigs, etc. out. Bugs, well, a little extra protein never hurt anyone... except the bug of course!

Step 2- spray your baking dish with non-stick spray, or use good old fashioned butter to grease the bottom of the dish.

In a medium mixing bowl combine 1 1/2 cups sugar 2/3 cup corn starch- mix well and add blackberries. Stir to coat and pour mixture into baking dish.

 Now for the cobbler breading. Mix 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 to 2/3 cups milk- you need to add enough milk for the batter to be pretty runny- about the consistency of pancake batter.  Pour batter over the berries in the baking dish.

 Slice one stick of butter into thin slices and distribute evenly over the top of the cobbler batter. Sprinkle top of batter with sugar to cover entire top.

Bake at 375 degrees until the crust is golden brown and the berries are bubbling.

                                                        It should look something like this.

Now, top with some creamy vanilla ice cream or whipped topping- heck, just eat it straight out of the dish- no matter how you serve it, it makes the blackberry picking process SO worth it!!!