Blackberry-Pear Cobbler

Name: Blackberry-Pear Cobbler
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 cup frozen blackberries; 1.5 large pears, halved, cored, thinly sliced; 0.67 cup plus 3/4 cup sugar; 3 tbsp dry red wine; 2 tsp finely grated tangerine peel or orange peel; 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon plus additional for sprinkling; 1 cup all purpose flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 0.25 tsp salt; 0.75 cup whole milk; 0.5 cup unsalted butter, melted; 0.5 tsp almond extract; 1 Powdered sugar; 1 Vanilla ice cream

From the kitchen of Carly

Blackberries and pears fold into a simple batter that bakes up golden underneath, while the fruit stays bright and jammy on top. Tangerine zest and cinnamon add warmth to this cobbler that's best served warm with vanilla ice cream.

Frozen blackberries and fresh pears hit a batter that puffs up around them as they bake, leaving you with a crusty-edged cobbler that's tender underneath. Red wine and tangerine peel cut through the fruit's sweetness with just enough edge. The secret: leave that fruit alone. Stirring ruins the whole thing.

Prep: n/a
Cook: n/a
Total: n/a
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

3 cupfrozen blackberries
1 1/2 largepears, halved, cored, thinly sliced
2/3 cupplus 3/4 cup sugar
3 tbspdry red wine
2 tspfinely grated tangerine peel or orange peel
1/2 tspground cinnamon plus additional for sprinkling
1 cupall purpose flour
2 tspbaking powder
1/4 tspsalt
3/4 cupwhole milk
1/2 cupunsalted butter, melted
1/2 tspalmond extract
1Powdered sugar
1Vanilla ice cream

Instructions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat it to 350°F. Butter a 2½-quart baking dish with 2-inch-high sides. In a medium bowl, gently toss the frozen blackberries, sliced pears, 2/3 cup sugar, red wine, citrus peel, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon until everything is evenly coated.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar together in a separate medium bowl. Pour in the milk, melted butter, and almond extract, then whisk until the batter is smooth and blended. Spread it evenly into the prepared dish, then spoon the berry-pear mixture over the top without stirring it in. Finish with a light sprinkle of cinnamon.
Slide the dish into the oven and bake for about 1 hour, until the crust is set in the center and the edges are deep golden brown. Let it cool for 30 minutes before dusting generously with powdered sugar. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream alongside if you like.
Leaving the fruit undisturbed on top is intentional: the batter rises up around it during baking, creating those thick, crusty edges that make a cobbler worth eating.

Tips from the kitchen

Don't thaw the frozen blackberries, period. They'll stay intact and hold their shape while the fresh pears release their juice into the filling.
Grate your citrus peel fresh just before you make this. Bottled peel tastes flat and stale, and you're only using 2 teaspoons anyway.
Leave the fruit unmixed on top of the batter and resist the urge to stir. The batter rises up and around it as it bakes, which is how you get that golden, crusty top edge.
If your cobbler is browning too fast, cover loosely with foil for the last 15 to 20 minutes of baking.

Variations

Skip the wine and add 2 tablespoons of brandy or kirsch instead for a deeper, more boozy note.
Swap the pears for sliced peaches or apples if that's what you have, keeping the blackberries as your anchor.
Omit the almond extract and add a half teaspoon of cardamom to the dry mixture for a warmer, spiced angle.

Make ahead and storage

Leftovers keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat beautifully in a 300°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Not recommended for freezing, as the batter becomes waterlogged.