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This classic blueberry cobbler with an amazing shortcake topping is baked to jammy perfection! Sugar and lemon accentuate the fresh blueberry flavor!
I love an unexpected flavor combination as much as the next pastry chef. Fun, yet delicious combinations were my calling card in the restaurants. Blueberries, however, are the exception.
I love my in-season blueberries with a bit of sugar and lemon and that is it! Lemon makes the blueberries come alive. It also keeps super ripe, farm-fresh berries from being cloyingly sweet. You know how I feel about cloying sweetness. You’ve seen how I liberally use kosher salt and acid in my pastry recipes.
This is the dessert that will have all the neighbors talking about you. [In a good way. Not like several years ago when you had the Christmas Nativity scene that spontaneously combusted in your front yard. Not that kind of talking.
There will be whispers of how you brought the blueberry cobbler with a shortcake topping that was crispy but also chewy and delightful.
Because I am who I am, I did add one small secret ingredient. A subtle flavor that will have everyone guessing what you put in your cobbler to make it so much better!
Mandarin orange! Perhaps it is because I bought waaaay too many in Chinatown several weeks ago, but perhaps it is because that floral citrus note adds to the blueberry flavor. There is no competition here. Just happy coexistence.
Guys, let’s talk about the shortcake topping. Yes, you could make just the shortcake and top it with macerated berries and call it a day (or a Strawberry Shortcake!), but that isn’t what we are doing here. No, we are EXTRA. And we are taking that shortcake and putting it on top of our cobbler filling. That way it bakes crispy on top but then absorbs the blueberry juices and they become ONE.
This is a rare example of the whole being better than the sum of its parts. Just know that you could use this crisp topping in a pinch or in a moment of Summer laziness, and you will still be the talk of the neighborhood. Stick around. We are going to Summer in (delicious) style!
For this stylish Summer, may I also suggest topping your classic blueberry cobbler with a mountain of vanilla ice cream?
Classic Blueberry Cobbler
Ingredients
For the Shortcake
- 250 g all-purpose Flour
- 20 g sugar
- 1 mandarin orange zested
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 113 g unsalted butter cold, cubed (1 stick, ½ cup)
- 50 g sour cream
- 35 g heavy cream
- heavy cream for topping
- sugar for topping
For the Filling:
- 6 cups frozen blueberries I used 3, 6oz bags of frozen blueberries but fresh blueberries also work!
- 115 g sugar
- 1 mandarin orange juice (use the zest in the shortcake!)
- 12 g lemon juiced
- 12 g cornstarch
Instructions
Make the shortcake first:
- Combine flour, sugar, zest, baking powder, baking soda, salt and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low until butter is completely cut into the flour mixture.
- Whisk together sour cream and heavy cream in a small bowl and add all of it to the dry ingredients at once. Mix on low until a dough forms. Add a little more heavy cream if it is dry.
- Turn out onto plastic wrap and press to about ½ inch thick, wrap, and chill for 2 hours or until firm. Cut shortcakes. You can use any cutter that you’d like. I chose different sizes of a fluted cutter, but you could use a cookie cutter or even a glass. Chill again before baking. Can also be baked from frozen.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Prepare the blueberry filling:
- Combine blueberries (it is better if they are thawed because they will cook faster and the shortcakes will be done at the same time), sugar, mandarin juice, and lemon juice. Taste. Adjust lemon juice or sugar as desired. Stir in cornstarch after tasting. Pour into baking dish. I used an 8 inch by 8 inch, but you could use a 9×9 or a round dish. I usually test my volume with the berries before I start.
Assemble and bake:
- Place your shortcakes on top of the prepared filling and brush them with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar. There can be some gaps or you can cover it almost completely. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet to eliminate sad oven clean-ups.
- Bake 350°F for 35-50 minutes or until the blueberry filling is bubbling in the center and the top is golden brown.
