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Mixed Berry Cobbler

The name cobbler probably came from the idea that biscuit-topped fruit can be cobbled together with ingredients that are usually at hand. I almost always had everything needed to make the dough but rarely had enough fruit for the bottom layer — until I discovered those bags of good-for-cobbler frozen berries: wild blueberries, red raspberries, even mixed berries. In case you've never used frozen berries, I think you'll be pleased to find that, if frozen individually and not in syrup, they can be used with admirable results. You might also be pleased to know that you don't have to defrost them before cobbling them. (If you've got lots of fresh berries, though, you can certainly use them in this recipe.)

Makes 8 servings

For the topping

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into little bits

3/4 cup cold heavy cream

For the filling

About 5 cups mixed berries (go light on the strawberries, they're a bit too watery for a cobbler) — frozen, not in syrup (no need to defrost them), or fresh

4 to 5 tablespoons sugar (depending on your taste)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Grated zest of 1/2 lemon or lime

1/4 teaspoon (or more, to taste) freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

GETTING READY: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and put it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

TO MAKE THE TOPPING: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips (my favorite method) or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You'll have pea-size pieces, pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pieces in between — and that's just right.

Pour the cream over the dry ingredients and toss and gently turn the ingredients with a fork until you've got a very soft dough. When the dough comes together, you'll probably still have dry ingredients at the bottom of the bowl — just use a spatula or your hands to mix and knead the dough until it's evenly blended.

Don't overdo it; it's better to have a few dry spots than an overworked dough. Even with all the flour mixed in, the dough will be soft and sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap, cover with another sheet of paper or plastic and gently press or roll the dough into a circle that is a scant 9 inches in diameter. Don't worry about getting the size exact or about seeing that the edges are even — this is a very homey dessert, and a rough-around the-edges biscuit adds to its charm. Set the dough aside while you prepare the fruit. (If it's more convenient, you can refrigerate the dough on a baking sheet for up to 6 hours before baking it — just make sure it's well covered.)

TO MAKE THE FILLING: Toss all the ingredients into a large bowl and stir to mix.

Turn the fruit into the buttered pie plate and top with the biscuit. Using a small sharp knife, cut about 6 slits in the dough, just as you would for a piecrust. Then, using either the knife or a large piping tip, cut a circle out of the center of the dough.

Bake the cobbler for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the top is puffed and golden brown and the fruit is bubbling steadily up through the center steam hole and all around the scallopy edges of the biscuit. Transfer the pie plate to a rack and let the cobbler cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Serve the cobbler warm or at room temperature, with ice cream.

SERVING: As the cobbler cools, the berry juices will thicken a bit; cool it longer, and the biscuit will absorb the lion's share of the juices. Happily, the cobbler is great at any temperature and at any stage of juiciness. In order to get biscuit, fruit and juice in each serving, use the side of a big kitchen spoon to crack the cobbler's topping, then spoon out some of the biscuit along with some fruit and liquid into each bowl. Top each serving with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and serve the cobbler with spoons.

STORING: Once the cobbler cools, you can keep it lightly covered for a few hours at room temperature, but you really should enjoy it the day it is made. Don't refrigerate it — the biscuit will lose its appealing texture.

PLAYING AROUND: Cobblers, like crisps and crumbles, are very free-form, so, if you'd like, use this topping over other fruit fillings — just keep in mind that this kind of biscuit does best with fruits that produce lots of juice. If you want to use it instead over an apple crisp filling, for instance, or another filling that is quite thick, you might want to think about pouring a little maple syrup or fruit syrup over the cobbler before topping it with ice cream.

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