White House Berry Cobbler

I do love cobblers in almost any form, but this variation was a revelation to me. Could something this easy really be that good? I’m here to tell you that something this easy is actually better than you can imagine.

This lovely cobbler recipe comes to us via Walter Scheib, the well-known White House Chef (who’s book of the same name I enjoyed as well). Mr. Scheib, who was chef for the Clinton and Bush years, was quite well known for his pastries and desserts, and here he gives us something so simple, so very simple, and yet, OMG, so good.

Besides being ridiculously easy to make, one of the things we just loved about this is that the top gets all fluffy with little spots of almost caramel, which is heavenly with the fruity, soft inside. The edges are crispy, and I’m just a sucker for the crispy edge on any dessert.

Mr. Scheib used huckleberries for his version, and having none of those, I used a combination of strawberries, blackberries and blueberries. He also topped his with a homemade caramel ice cream, but you know, I just think that might be overkill. I topped it with a little unsweetened crème fraiche and I can’t tell you how perfect that was. This cobbler is pretty sweet. You may be tempted to put ice cream on it, but I implore you to resist. Crème fraiche, baby.

Let’s see… crunchy, sweet, creamy, chewy, caramel-y, fruity, and easy. We like that. We think you will too. Really.

For a Printable recipe, click here

Recipe courtesy Walter Scheib, White House Chef

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup milk

2 cups berries (Huckleberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc.) (about 11 ounces)

Preheat oven to 375°F.

1. In an 8-inch square or other 2-quart baking dish, melt butter.

2. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg and stir in sugar until combined well.

3. Add milk and whisk batter until it is just combined.

4. Pour batter into melted butter; do not stir. Pour berries into center of batter; do not stir. (I sort of scatter the berries all over the top.)

5. Bake cobbler in middle of oven for 40 minutes, or until cake portion is golden and berries exude juices.

Note: I used an 8 1/2 inch round clay baker for this. I can't say exactly how it would come out in a glass, metal or ceramic baking dish. It seems to brown quickly, so check on it before the 40 minutes. Mine was done at 30 minutes.