As homemade desserts go, cobblers are about as easy as they come; even better, they are endearingly homey and invariably good. The fluffy cream biscuits floating over this blackberry cobbler couldn’t be simpler—just mix and drop. Serve warm with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6 to 8

　　

Filling

2 1/2 pints (5 cups) fresh blackberries

　　1/2 cup sugar, or to taste (depending on the sweetness of the berries)

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

　　Zest and juice of 1 lemon

　　2 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted

　　

Drop Cream Biscuits

2 1/2 cups self-rising flour (see Know-how, page 53)

　　2 tablespoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top

　　Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

　　Pinch of kosher salt

　　2 cups heavy cream

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

　　

Filling

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish or a 9- or 10-inch ovenproof skillet.

　　

Step 2

Combine the blackberries, sugar, butter, lemon zest and juice, and cornstarch in a bowl and stir to mix. Spoon the berry mixture into the prepared baking dish or skillet and spread evenly.

　　

Biscuits

Step 3

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, nutmeg, and salt and stir to mix. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture, pour in the cream, and mix to form a soft dough.

　　

Step 4

Top the blackberry mixture with heaping spoonfuls of the dough, covering the fruit almost completely. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the butter, sprinkle with additional sugar, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown and the fruit is bubbling around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.

　　Reprinted with permission from Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal by Sara Foster. Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Sara Foster is the owner of Foster's Market, the acclaimed gourmet take-out store/cafés in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the author of several cookbooks including The Foster's Market Cookbook, winner of the Best Cookbook Award from the Southeast Booksellers Association. She has appeared numerous times on Martha Stewart Living Television and NBC's Today show. She has also been featured in magazines such as More, House Beautiful, and Southern Living, and is featured regularly in Bon Appétit.