I love a good cobbler, and berry cobblers are my favorite. They have all of the flavors of pie, but are so much easier to make.

Simple and healthified. This one is made simple by stirring the berry filling ingredients together right in the baking dish. I made a biscuit topping that is considerably healthier than most by using oats, flax seed and whole wheat flour. I added coconut milk & coconut oil in place of the usual butter and buttermilk; the result is a tender, flavorful cobbler topping. If you don't like the taste of coconut--no worries--you can't taste the coconut at all. This recipe is vegan, too.

Get creative with cookie cutters. To dial up the fun factor, I used cookie cutters to cut the biscuit topping into star shapes for the 4th of July. I got the idea from a cobbler recipe in Fine Cooking Magazine. You can use whatever cookie cutter shape you like to customize your cobbler for any special occasion. Heart shapes for Valentine's Day or anniversaries, egg shapes for Easter....you get the idea. You could even use ABC or 123 cookie cutters to spell out words or numbers that fit an occasion. There are endless possibilities.

view on Amazon: assorted cookie cutters, ABC cookie cutters, 123 cookie cutters

Of course, you can skip the cookie cutters and cut the biscuit dough into traditional circles (use an inverted drinking glass) or squares, if you prefer.

Nutritional Information. This cobbler has sugar, so I wouldn't call it health food. But, hey, it's dessert after all and worthy of a splurge. However, the mostly wholesome ingredients make it a better choice than most cobblers. Here's the nutritional breakdown for 1 serving (with the cobbler portioned into 16 servings): 244 calories, 7.9g fat, 187mg sodium, 42.5g carbs, 6.1g fiber 20.3g sugars, 3.1g protein; Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 7

Step-by-step photos for making
Berry & Oat Cookie-Cutter Cobbler

Step 1. Assemble the ingredients.

Here's what you need for the fruit filling:

• Fresh or frozen mixed berries -- I like to use a combination of equal amounts of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. I choose fresh if they are ripe, sweet, and in season. More often, I use frozen berries because they are picked at their peak of ripeness and nutrition, they are convenient, and  are usually less expensive. (If you happen to live near a Costco, they often have more affordable bags of frozen organic mixed berries.) 
• Sugar
• Salt
• Cornstarch
• Fresh lemon juice

Here's what you need for the biscuit topping:

• Whole wheat pastry flour (or you can use a combo of all-purpose white flour and regular whole wheat flour)
• Flaxseed meal (same as ground flaxseed)
• Rolled oats (old fashioned or quick)
• Baking powder (Oops! The corn starch pictured below should be a can of baking powder. My bad.)
• Brown sugar
• Cinnamon (not pictured)
• Salt
• Coconut oil (either in a solid or liquid state--both work fine)
• Lite coconut milk (the canned kind found in the Asian aisle of grocery stores)
• Demerara or coarse sugar (this gets sprinkled on top of the cobbler for adding some crunch; you can use regular granulated sugar if you don't have a coarser option)

view on Amazon:  whole wheat pastry flour, flaxseed meal, lite coconut milk, coconut oil, Demerara sugar

Step 2. Prepare the berry filling. Add the berries to a large baking dish, sprinkle on the other ingredients, stir them, and set that baby aside for now. If you are using frozen berries, they do not need to be thawed; I take them directly from the freezer and add them to my baking dish.

Step 3. Make the biscuit dough. Whisk together the dry ingredients, cut in the coconut oil with a pastry blender, and stir in the coconut milk. For tender biscuits, be careful not to overmix or overwork the dough.

view on Amazon:  wire whisk, pastry blender

Step 4. Roll and cut the dough into shapes. Turn dough onto floured surface, use floured hands to press it into a ball. Pat or roll the dough to approx. 1/2" thickness, coating hands or rolling pin with flour as needed. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into shapes (you can also use an inverted drinking glass to make round shapes).  Leftover scraps of dough may be combined and rolled again to cut additional shapes if needed, depending on the surface area & size of your baking dish (the larger the dish, the more topping you'll need to cover the surface). I used 2 sizes of star-shaped cookie cutters in the photos below.

Step 5. Assemble and bake the cobbler. The biscuit dough is very soft and must be handled gently so the biscuits hold their shape as they're moved. Use a spatula to lift and position each shape on top of the berry filling. You can arrange the shapes in one even layer, or stagger and layer them in a more rustic pattern. That's what I did....there is a layer of larger stars on the bottom with smaller stars staggered around on top. My pan measures 9x13. You can also use a 10x14 dish and spread the biscuits out more. This recipe has plenty of biscuit dough to cover a larger surface. Brush the top lightly with some of the coconut milk (there will be plenty left in the can) and then sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for about an hour.

view on Amazon:  pastry brush

The cobbler is done when it is lightly browned on top and bubbling in the center. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.  

Serve it warm or at room temperature. You can top it with whipped cream or ice cream, if you like. For a vegan option, check out Marla's great recipe for Coconut Milk Whipped Cream on her blog Family Fresh Cooking.

The oat biscuit topping is so tender and a flavorful compliment to the berry filling.  It's a great combo. 

For a smaller version, this recipe may be halved and assembled in a 9"  square baking dish or deep dish pie plate.

Make it a Yummy day!
Monica

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Cookie Cutter Cobbler - Mixed Berry

By Monica              Servings: 16 servings

Ingredients

• FOR FRUIT FILLING:
• 10 cups fresh or frozen mixed berries (a combination of raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries recommended); frozen berries do not need to be thawed
• 1 cup sugar (more if berries are tart)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• FOR OAT BISCUIT TOPPING:
• 2-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (may substitute 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1-1/2 cups regular whole wheat flour)
• 1 cup rolled oats (old fashioned or quick)
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seed (optional)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (either solid or liquid form works fine)
• 3/4 cup canned light coconut milk (shake can well before opening); plus more for brushing top of biscuits. 1 can will be more than enough.
• 1 tablespoon Demerara or coarse sugar

Directions

MAKE THE FRUIT FILLING: In a large baking dish (9x13 or 10x14 or similar), add the filling ingredients and toss until evenly coated. Spread into an even layer and set aside.

Place oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 375 degrees.

MAKE, ROLL, & CUT BISCUIT TOPPING. In large bowl, add flour, oats, flax seed, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; whisk to combine. Add coconut oil; use a pastry blender or 2 table knives to blend flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Gently stir in coconut milk just until evenly moistened.

Turn dough onto floured surface. Gently press and turn with floured hands 3-4 times to form a ball. Pat or roll the dough to approx. 1/2" thickness, coating hands or rolling pin with flour as needed. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into shapes (may also use inverted drinking glass to make round shapes).  Leftover scraps may be combined and rolled again to cut additional shapes if needed, depending on the surface area & size of your baking dish.

ASSEMBLE & BAKE. Use a spatula to transfer shapes to cover surface of berry filling in baking dish. The dough is soft; be gentle so it hold it's shape. Shapes may be placed in a single layer or overlapping to achieve desired appearance and preferred amount of topping per serving. Lightly brush biscuit shapes with coconut milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake uncovered for approx. 60 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbling in center. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or room temperature. Top with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

This recipe may be halved and assembled in a 9"  square baking dish or deep dish pie plate.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (per serving): 244 calories, 7.9g fat, 187mg sodium, 42.5g carbs, 6.1g fiber 20.3g sugars, 3.1g protein; Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 7

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