Name: Berry Cobbler with Cornmeal Biscuit Topping
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients: 8 cups fresh berries (I used a mix of raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries); 43 gm (1/3 cup) cornstarch; 150 gm (3/4 cup) granulated sugar; Zest of one lemon; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 188 gm (1 1/2 cups, spoon & leveled) all-purpose flour; 51 gm (1/3 cup) medium grind cornmeal; 100 gm (1/2 cup) granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 113 gm (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes; 240 gm (1 cup) cold heavy cream, plus more for brushing; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; Turbinado sugar for sprinkling

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This berry cobbler with cornmeal biscuit topping is the perfect dessert for summer! Delicious mixed berry filling underneath a cornmeal biscuit topping that’s perfectly sweet, has a sugary crisp exterior and a melt-in -your-mouth soft interior.

Y’all. Cobbler. It’s a way of life here in the South, and everyone has their way of doing it. Or their mama’s way of doing it. I grew up eating cobbler- mostly peach and always served warm with vanilla ice cream. Is it even cobbler if it’s not served warm with vanilla ice cream? I don’t think so.

Let me tell you why I love cobbler and why I love making cobbler. It’s SO GOOD and SO EASY and SO COMFORTING. I feel very strongly about cobbler and I will use all capital letters to describe it all day long.

This berry cobbler with cornmeal biscuit topping in particular has got me swooning. Warm berries underneath a beautiful, sweet cornmeal biscuit topping. It’s heavenly. I used blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries to create a lush filling that’s a perfect balance of sweet and tart. But the real star of the show? The cornmeal biscuit topping. Oh my stars, clutch my pearls, bless your heart, this is the stuff of dreams. The exterior is beautifully sweet and crisp, and then you break into that biscuit and ooooh it’s buttery soft, melt-in-your-mouth goodness. You might think that adding cornmeal to a cobbler topping is odd, but I’m here to tell you it’s the way to go. The cornmeal adds a nice texture and a lovely subtle flavor that compliments the berry filling. It ties it all together in a nice little summery package.

Even if you’ve got mama’s cobbler recipe, you’ve gotta give this berry cobbler with cornmeal biscuit topping a try. I won’t tell her, promise. And serve it warm. With vanilla ice cream. Did I mention the vanilla ice cream?

Happy summer and happy baking, friends!

What you’ll need to bake this cobbler:

Flour: For structure.

Cornmeal: Adding cornmeal to this biscuit topping is a delicious game changer! The cornmeal adds lovely texture as well as a subtle flavor that compliments the berries.

Sugar: Sweetens and tenderizes the biscuit topping.

Baking powder: For a little bit of leavening.

Kosher salt: To balance out all the sweetness.

Butter: For flavor, moisture, and flakiness in the biscuit topping. Using cold butter is the key here. When the cold butter hits the hot oven, steam is created, which gives the biscuits a light, fluffy, flakey texture.

Heavy cream: Adds richness and moisture to the biscuit topping.

Vanilla: For added flavor.

Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cornstarch, sugar, lemon, and vanilla for the berry filling.

FAQs:

Why is this recipe primarily listed in grams? I develop my recipes in grams because weighing your ingredients is the best, most accurate way to bake. Baking is a science and precision is key to success! Measuring cups are not standardized, and what’s more, the way each baker uses them varies drastically, which ultimately gives you inconsistent (and sometimes negative) results. For instance, did you know that scooping flour out of a cannister can give you 50% more flour than what’s called for in the recipe? By weighing your ingredients rather than using measuring cups, you can confidently know that you are using the correct amount of each ingredient, giving you greater success & delicious results. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale, like this one when you bake. Plus, it makes clean up a lot easier!

Can I use different fruit for the filling? Yes! You can use a combination of fruit like I did or stick to one type of berry. Just make sure you keep it to the recommended 8 cups of fruit. For best results, keep whatever combination of fruit you use in similar-sized pieces to ensure even baking.

Can I use milk instead of heavy cream? I don’t recommend it. Milk is thinner than heavy cream, which can cause the biscuit topping to spread too much in the oven.

A few notes before you bake:

Be sure to keep your heavy cream and butter cold. Keeping these ingredients cold is key to getting a light and fluffy biscuit topping. When the cold ingredients (particularly the butter) hit the hot oven, steam is created, which helps the dough to rise. If your ingredients are at room temperature, the butter will simply melt, causing the topping to spread and become flat & dense.