12.29.2010 Ma's Cobbler with Grandma Wanda

My grandma was in town for Christmas...and we had so much fun together!  A few days after Christmas I picked her up from mom & dad's and took her to my pedi spa for a mani/pedi...then we headed to Target to do a little grocery shopping...her still in little flimsy pedi slippers (feet just freezing) and us on the phone with Scott trying to figure out the recipe for one of her cakes...we got to giggling in the middle of the store over the evaporated vs condensed milk dispute.

I have been pestering her for quite a while about her mother, Ma's cobbler recipe.  She has always stated that there was no recipe, she just knew how to do it by hand...so we made it together.  I took notes and pictures (I've since misplaced my notes, and hope to find them soon, but such is life). 

Ma Krebbs family cobbler

• 1 lb berries (or seasonal fruit).  Grandma Wanda's opinion as was her mother before her is that Boysenberries are the best here...which are hard to come by...so we used Blackberries.  Frozen or fresh are fine (though you may need to adjust the liquid in the filling depending)
• Sugar to taste (depends on sweetness of berries)...maybe a cup?
• Crisco (regular, not butter) at least a cup...maybe 2 (better off having more dough than less, Grandma and I like more dough to soak up the juices)
• AP flour (all purpose)...by eye...blending with a fork, cold hands or dough blender until resembling picture below...like moist ground bread crumbs I'd say.  Don't recall if she added any salt...I might try a pinch.
• Added cold water (I think...where are those stinkin notes!?) till it came together (see pic)
• Roll out 1/2 of dough for "dumplins" and half for top (preferrably on a "dough board"...learned that it is also a well known (not to me) family secret to have a block of wood set aside just for rolling out dough...smooth, never shall a knife cut something on it! Grandma told me that when she was having one of their homes built, she asked that the butcher block be made quite large...and the contractor asked why such a large cutting board?...."no, it's a dough board" replied Grandma.  And also told me a story of my uncle Steve heading to her dough board to cut something up....she had to head him off at the pass)...so anyway, I now must get my own dough board...roll out dough to maybe 1/8 inch thick?...I'll have to try it and see...and cut 1/2 of the dough into about 1&1/2 inch squares.
• while your doing all this lovely dough work, a deep enough sauce pot should be on the stove with your fruit, water to cover (at least), sugar to sweeten and thicken a bit...bring to a soft boil...once boiling, gently add the dumplings and cook about 10 min (I think)...till they swell a bit, thicken filling and float to top (my guess is they should be floating...we'll see)
• I believe the oven was at 350...but trial will tell.
• have the top crust rolled out with cutouts decorating (like picture)...and have soft margarine (i'll try butter) and sugar ready to dust top, though Grandma Wanda said until she was 16 & a Senior in H.S. her family lived on a farm in Oklahoma and her momma (Ma) would top it with fresh cream instead of margarine or butter...what a lovely thought.
• pour the filling in a 9x13 baking dish and immediately top with crust, brush with "wash" of choice and sprinkle with sugar for glisten and crunch.  Bake at least 15 min...probably closer to 20...or even 25. 
• I'll have to try this alone to see if it works.  The X-factor is the dough...and now I'm missing my grandmother and wishing she were here, or I was there (Central CA) to bake it with her.
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  Crisco & flour...like moist, fine bread crumbs

  
  

  

  added ice water till it came together

  
  

  

  rolled out half for "dumplin"...it's the dumplins that make this unique...still don't know anyone else (neither does Grandma) who does cobbler this way...and this is why it is my favorite....we are "dough" girls for sure!  It soaks up all the berry juice.

  
  

  

  berries, water & sugar, coming to a boil

  
  

  

  dumplins simmering, like tender jewel pillows

  
  

  

  top crust added immediately, with decorative slits made my Grandma



margarine spread and sugar being sprinkled by experience hands

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  Serve with fresh vanilla icecream, or whipped cream...the best would be hand cranked summer ice cream for sure.   Desserts...all food tasted better when made by a Grandma...at least by one of mine.