One of the best things about spring? The berries, of course!!!! I picked up some beautiful strawberries at the farmers' market this weekend, and they went straight into this awesome Best Ever Berry Cobbler. There's nothing better!! And you can't have a beautiful, warm cobbler without some cool Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream. You just can't. This recipe includes canola oil, which helps prevent an overly icy texture and adds a bit of creaminess as well. This may be my new favorite comfort food!
Best Ever Berry Cobbler (serves 12-16)2 qts fresh or frozen organic strawberries, sliced
1 6 oz. bag frozen (or fresh) organic blackberries
2 cups frozen or fresh organic blueberries
1 cup frozen or fresh organic raspberries
**I say to use organic berries here because of the large amount of pesticides used on conventionally-grown berries. Check out the EWG's website for more information.
1 cup sugar
1 Tbs vanilla extract
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
Crust:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 Tbs sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 Tbs baking powder
1/4 cup cold vegan margarine
1/4 cup cold non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
1/2 cup soy milk (or 1-2 Tbs more as needed)
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large pot, combine the berries, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and sea salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes, until reduced about halfway. Stir in the flour and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Cut in the cold margarine and shortening with a pastry cutter or strong fork, until the dough becomes crumbly. Drizzle in the soy milk, adding more or less as needed to form a soft, but solid, dough.
Pour the berry mixture into a 9x13 glass baking dish. Take pieces of dough and flatten; spread out in patches over the berry mixture, covering most of the berries, but also leaving some showing in between crust pieces. Sprinkle with 1 Tbs sugar over the top and place in oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool and set for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Serve warm with Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream.
Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream (makes 1 qt)
1 box silken tofu-- not lite
1 can full fat coconut milk
1 cup soy milk or almond milk
1 1/2 Tbs vanilla extract
2 Tbs canola oil
Pinch of sea salt
3/4 cup sugar
Optional: scraping from 1/2 a vanilla bean
In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients. Puree until completely smooth and chill for an hour in the refrigerator. Pour into ice cream maker and make/freeze according to manufacturer's directions.
Allow to chill in freezer at least 1-2 hours before serving.
You now have everything you need for the perfect springtime dessert!!!
