Tri-Berry Cobbler

We had gone berry picking this berry season and I had all these fresh berries after making a big batch of jams, and freezing some. So, while we do love eating the berries as-is, I thought it would be nice to top it with some form of simple pastry and make it a delectable dessert.

We had picked raspberries, boysenberries and blueberries and I liked the combination of flavors.

Now, among the local berries, my top favorite is the incredibly sweet and juicy marionberries, next is ripe and wild, melt-in-the-mouth albeit seedy blackberries, then plump and wholesome blueberries, then the 'everybody's favorite' dark and sweet Mt.Hood strawberries and finally the many varieties of raspberries, which we grow in our home garden as well.

Local hybrids such as boysenberries, loganberries , salmonberries and, even the rare huckleberries while quite tasty are not as ubiquitous as blackberries and raspberries and blueberries and am not terribly fond of them.

Anyway, this is a very simple cobbler: rather than bake all the berries with pastry crust on top, the biscuits are made separately and the berries are cooked separately and served together. I don't add any sugar, but, feel free to add a little if you prefer. And, if preferred, make the berries into a thick sauce by adding some cornstartch or tapioca and adjust the water suitably.

The biscuits are not sweet at all and so this dish bursts with wholesome berry flavors, and the biscuit gives the contrasting mild flavor and crunch. Plus, the biscuits can be served with other foods like soups as they are neutral, light, and delicate making them quite versatile.

Ingredients
raspberries, blueberries, boysenberries (or any berries of your choice)
for the biscuit:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup quick-cooking oats
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup milk
¼ cup buttermilk
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup butter

Preparation:

1. Biscuit:
   • heat the oven to 395°F
   • combine the biscuit ingredients, do not overmix
   • scoop little dollops of the dough into a greased muffin pan
   • bake in the 395°F oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through on the inside (toothpick inserted comes out clean)
2. Fruit: combine about 2-3 cups of berries (or as much as you'd like), add a few tablespoons of water, cover and cook till a little mushy; crush the berries if desired, but, I like them a little chunky, reserving some berries for topping
3. Serving: dish up some mushed berries, top with the hot biscuits and sprinkle some fresh berries as garnish or serve them on the side