Juicy, bubbling blackberries beneath a soft, golden, buttery biscuit topping — this is one of the great autumn puddings. Simple, comforting, and absolutely irresistible with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
INGREDIENTS
• 700 grams fresh blackberries
• 80 grams caster sugar for filling
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• 1.5 tablespoons cornflour
• 0.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon for filling
• 220 grams plain flour
• 50 grams caster sugar for topping
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 0.3 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 85 grams cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 150 milliliters double cream, plus extra for brushing
• 1 teaspoons tsp demerara sugar for sprinkling
STEPS
1. Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan). Lightly butter a 1.5 litre baking dish.
2. Make the filling: Toss 700 grams fresh blackberries with 80 grams caster sugar for filling, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, zested and juiced, 1 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, 1.5 tablespoons cornflour, and 0.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon for filling. Tip into the prepared dish and spread evenly.
3. Make the cobbler topping: Mix 220 grams plain flour, 50 grams caster sugar for topping, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 0.3 teaspoons fine sea salt in a bowl. Add 85 grams cold unsalted butter, cubed and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized lumps remaining.
4. Bring together: Pour in 150 milliliters double cream, plus extra for brushing and stir gently with a fork until a shaggy dough just comes together. Do not overwork it — a rough, uneven dough makes the best cobbler.
5. Assemble: Drop large spoonfuls of the dough over the blackberry filling, covering most of the surface but leaving some gaps for the juices to bubble through. Brush the tops lightly with a little extra cream and scatter over 1 teaspoons tsp demerara sugar for sprinkling.
6. Bake: Bake for 30–35 minutes until the topping is deep golden, the underside of the biscuits is cooked through, and the blackberry filling is bubbling vigorously at the edges.
7. Rest and serve: Leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving — the filling will be extremely hot. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or clotted cream.
NOTES
The cinnamon in the filling and the demerara sugar scattered over the biscuit topping are the signature touches here — cinnamon amplifies the warm, autumnal depth of blackberries, and the demerara gives the topping a beautiful crunch and a slightly caramelised sweetness. Using double cream rather than buttermilk in the biscuit topping gives it a richer, more tender crumb. This cobbler is best eaten the day it’s made, warm from the oven with vanilla ice cream.