Farmer Boy Blackberry Cobbler

I've heard it said that, "You can tell if a fella is from the Ozarks by the blackberry stains around the outside of his mouth."  Well, that's probably not far from the truth!  If there's a farm in the Ozarks - there are blackberries growing there!  It is said that, as a small child, Rose (Laura's daughter) picked berries and sold them to help finance their Rocky Ridge Farm.

Once you get past the ticks, chiggers, and the thorns; you can enjoy picking those big, juicy berries!  I have a patch out back with tame, Jumbo berries.  If I had to do it over, I'd choose a thornless variety instead.  Either that or I would have stock in a bug repellant company!  But I'm not complaining.  Every bite and scratch is worth it!

Cobblers became a popular dessert item in this country in the early 1800's.  I'd bet they would have been popular before that if the Ozarks had been open for settlement before that!

I've seen (and tried) a number of different cobbler recipes over the years, but this is the one I've adopted.  It is quick and easy, so you can enjoy it as soon as possible!  Life's too short to wait for something as good as this!  I'll even sacrifice and heat up the kitchen in the summer to get to eat this dish, made with fresh-picked berries!  But it is great anytime of the year, made with frozen berries.

Ingredients:

• 4 Cups - fresh Ozarks Blackberries
• 1 Tablespoon - lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon - ground cinnamon        
• 1 large egg
• 1 Cup - sugar
• 1 Cup - all-purpose flour
• 6 Tablespoons - butter (melted)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Place the berries in a lightly greased 8 inch square baking pan.*   Sprinkle with the cinnamon and lemon juice.  Stir together the egg, sugar and flour in a bowl - till the mixture resembles coarse oatmeal.  Sprinkle this over the berries.  Drizzle the melted butter over the top.  Bake for 35 minutes or till lightly browned and bubbly.  Let it stand to cool for 10 minutes.  (Wow, the longest 10 minutes of your life!)
Serve warm, topped with whipped cream, if desired. Or, if you've really thought ahead: serve with a scoop of homemade Vanilla ice cream!
* You could also bake this same amount, using 6 ramekins (8 oz. each).  You'll need to put aluminum foil under the baking so that it catches the overflow.

I sure feel sorry for you, who don't have Ozarks blackberries!  You'll just have to use whatever variety you can find.  If you make this, let us all know by leaving a comment here.  Thanks. The Old Man in the Bib Overalls

"People used to have time to live and enjoy themselves, but there is no time anymore for anything but work, work, work."  Laura Ingalls Wilder