Recipe by Sourdough Brandon for Wyman’s
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
For the Filling:
- 2lbs/7cups of Wyman’s frozen blueberries
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (1 teaspoon of dried thyme if that’s all you have)
- ½ cup (100g) sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Juice of one lemon (about two tablespoons)
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
For the Biscuits:
- ¼ cup (50g) sugar
- Zest of one lemon (about one tablespoon)
- 2 ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour + more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick; 113g) unsalted butter
- A little under a cup of buttermilk (230g) + more for brushing tops of biscuits
- Demerara or turbinado raw sugar for topping
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Make the biscuits:
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine sugar and zest of one lemon. With your fingers, rub the lemon zest into the sugar until the sugar is fragrant. Add the rest of the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).
- Cut the butter into small cubes using a bench scraper or butter knife. Toss the butter cubes into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients until coated. With your hands, smash the individual cubes of butter with the dry ingredients until they are thin and the size of peas. You can use a pastry cutter if you prefer. If you notice the butter getting warm or melting at any point, transfer to a refrigerator for a few minutes to firm up.
- Create a well in the center of the mixing bowl and drizzle in buttermilk. With a fork or your hands, gently toss together the buttermilk and flour mixture until the dough starts to come together. Very gently, knead the mixture a couple times in the bowl until it barely comes together into a ball.
- Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface and with floured hands, pat into an 8” diameter round about ¾” thick. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle a little more flour onto the dough and your hands. With a 2” floured biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits. Re-shape and cut out more biscuits with any scraps. You should have about 20 biscuits. Place the biscuits onto a plate and refrigerate while you make the filling.
- Make the filling:
- In a large mixing bowl with a spatula, mix together the frozen blueberries, thyme, sugar, salt, juice of reserved zested lemon and cornstarch until the blueberries are completely coated and the cornstarch is no longer visible and has no clumps.
- Dump the filling into a 10 inch cast iron skillet or 2 quart baking dish.
- Place the refrigerated biscuits on top of the filling. Brush the tops of the biscuits with buttermilk and sprinkle with demerara or turbinado raw sugar. Put the cast iron skillet or baking dish on top of an aluminum foil lined baking sheet to catch any juices that might overflow.
- Place the baking sheet with cobbler in the preheated oven and bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and bake for another 60-70 minutes until the center of the cobbler is bubbly (the sides will bubble before the center) and the biscuits are golden brown*. If the biscuits are browning too quickly after 30 minutes, tent the cobbler with aluminum foil to prevent them from overbrowning.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack. Serve with vanilla ice cream! Cobbler is best served day of but will keep if covered and stored in the refrigerator for 3 days and reheated.
Notes:
*Cornstarch thickens at 203 degrees F. Use an instant thermometer to check the temperature of the center of the cobbler so the cobbler will thicken as it cools.
Using fresh thyme elevates this summertime favorite with an unexpected floral and earthy twist. Have basil or mint? Throw those into the filling instead! Fluffy buttermilk biscuits atop the cobbler and only lightly soak in the juices of the wild blueberries, keeping the integrity of the biscuits intact without getting soggy. A little raw sugar sprinkled on top of the biscuits caramelizes them and gives a little crunch in an altogether not-so-sweet dessert. Top the juicy cobbler with vanilla ice cream to serve.
