By: Cia Huston Dreves
I guess because my EEG was scheduled at lunchtime, the technician, a sweet girl named Cynthia, and I began a conversation about food. The conversation was as lengthy as the test. Inevitably it turned to southern foods and “old ways,” cornbread and greens, and—of course—southern desserts. During our discussion of cobblers, Cynthia shared the story of her family’s favorite, made exclusively by her father as a family treat called “Blueberry Dats.”
Yesterday, being a truly gray and rainy day and with no indoor tasks being of particular interest, I scanned the refrigerator with Cynthia’s Blueberry Dats in mind. Not only did I have a container of blueberries (as well as the required rolls of refrigerated biscuits), I also had a basket of fresh strawberries. So, I jumped heartily into the prospect of making stovetop cobbler along with a little experimentation.
As it turns out, the stovetop cobbler is not only beyond good and remarkably simple, but it works beautifully with all berries. Though I have never heard of strawberry cobbler, the Strawberry “Dats,” as I will call them, were amazing. When peaches are in season, I’m going to give them a try! If you try this recipe with something other than blueberries or strawberries, please send a note to Focus on Fabulous Magazine to let us know how it turned out.
I didn’t have actual measurements from Cynthia, but she said it was foolproof. And so it seems to be. Below are the measurements I used, and you can adjust however you might like!
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 can refrigerated biscuits
- Ice cream (optional)
Instructions
- Pour blueberries into a 3-quart saucepan, and fill with water until an inch above the berries. Boil 10 minutes or until berries are plump and begin to burst.
- Add 2 cups of water and sugar with a dash of Salt. Bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to slow boil for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in ground cinnamon.
- Open can of biscuits. Cut each one into small pieces with scissors, letting them drop into the boiling syrup. Cover and let simmer for 20–30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let stand until ready to serve.
- Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream in a fancy dish with a sprinkle of cinnamon, top with a mint sprig garnish, and you will have a heavenly gourmet dessert!
Cia Huston Dreves enjoyed a 37 year career in Advertising as artist and writer before retiring. She has also written, directed and produced documentaries, published the How-To book “Find Cash in Your Kitchen” and maintains the blog, “Still Finding Cash” at blogspot.com.