When Blackberry Cobbler Meets Blueberry Crumble - No. 396

LAST SUMMER I WAS TEACHING A COOKING class on cobblers and baking not only a lovely peach cobbler but a double-crust blackberry one, too.

The night before the class, my granddaughter walked into the kitchen where I was rubbing butter into flour for the pastry and asked if she would get to taste the blackberry crumble after my talk.

“It’s a blackberry cobbler I’m making,” I gently corrected her.

Then she repeated: “Will I get to taste the blackberry crumble, Nene?”

Why argue with a six year old?

Blackberries and sugar in a baking pan with strips of pastry laid on top is technically a “cobbler” in my eyes, but when a child is involved, who cares about nomenclature?

It could be a crumble, cobbler, “crobbler” or a “cumble.” Doesn’t matter to me.

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This wee linguist took years to string together a sentence and we wondered curiously what thoughts were swirling around in her head. Now she could address the United Nations with complex sentences and strategic thought…well that may be a stretch, but we definitely sit up straight when she walks confidently into the room.

I adore how she packages words together. And I guess she could taste the sound of “Blackberry Crumble” as it left her lips.

I like the sound of it, too and made a mental note to bake blackberry crumble or a crumble of some sort before last summer escaped. But I didn’t. So here we are in summer 2026, and it’s on the menu for Father’s Day.

There’s nothing the grandfather in our house likes better than warm summer fruit pie with cold vanilla ice cream. Bring on the peaches, the berries, the ice cream!

Maybe that’s true with most dads. Most humans.

And dads deserve something sweet for all the mornings in their lives when they preferred to sleep in but didn’t. At noisy breakfasts, they wanted a peaceful cup of coffee. The crumbs in their car. And as the years passed, the keys to their car.

Then the keys to their heart.

For this post I asked my son-in-law, an unapologetic girl dad, a few questions about being a father today:

Anne: What do you like best about being a dad?

Hugh: The little moments. My daughter and I were sitting on the couch this week watching the NBA Finals. She isn’t a sports nut, but she’ll watch with me. We were about three feet from one other. She scooted over, lifted my arm, put it around her shoulders. That’s a feeling you can’t replace or explain.

Anne: What’s the most challenging thing about being a dad today?

Hugh: Giving up parts of your life and freedom to make sure your child has everything they need…And, of course, attempting ponytails, buns and braids. No matter how many times my wife shows me, no matter how many YouTube videos I watch, I just can’t get it.

Anne: What do most people not know about dads?

Hugh: Dads are sensitive. The idea of “being a man” has the connotation to many of toughness and being emotionless…I urge anyone who feels that way to talk to a girl dad. I’ve laughed, cried, cheered, and done things I never thought I would.

To all the dads out there, have a Happy Father’s Day! And for all the pie lovers and the crumble lovers, the children and the linguists, this recipe is for you, too.

I merged a double-crust blackberry cobbler recipe with a favorite way to make peach crumble, using dark brown sugar for more flavor in the crumble topping. I used every early summer fruit at my disposal—blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches—and each fruit brought something to the final result. The blueberries were naturally sweet, the blackberries added heft and texture. The raspberries added acidity and brightness, and the peaches were just peaches, adding that pop of flavor with each bite.

Coming hot out of the oven, I let the crumble cool 15 to 20 minutes before spooning into bowls with cold scoops of ice cream on top. It was perfection. Not too sweet, not too thick, not overcooked.

Only the best for dad.

Happy Summer!

- xo, Anne

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P.S. Juneteenth is celebrated this Thursday, and I have the perfect Red Drinks for Hot Days recipes.

You know how much I love fruit desserts in summertime! From the archives are these favorites:

Double-Crust Cherry Cobbler

Lazy Peach Cobbler

Edna Lewis’s Virginia Blackberry Cobbler

Frances Virginia Peach Cobbler

THE RECIPE:

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What I love about this recipe is that it has both pie crust and crumble topping, pleasing everyone, and both the crust and crumble can be made ahead—even up to two days ahead and stored in the fridge. You use the food processor to make both, and you don’t need to wash the processor between pulsing together the pie crust and the crumble. Yes! Another plus…This recipe preserves the fresh taste of summer fruit by not overcooking it, and it is adaptable to whatever fruit you’ve got. You just need 7 cups fruit. I used a mix of blackberries and blueberries —2 cups each—along with 2 cups sliced peaches and 1 cup raspberries. The result is fresh, and all the thickening you need comes from the crust and crumble.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Bake: 45 to 50 minutes

• Pie pastry:

• 1 1/8 cups (135 grams) all-purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) cold salted butter

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water or milk

• Crumble topping:

• 1/2 cup (109 grams) dark brown sugar

• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar

• 3/4 cup (90 grams) all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) cold salted butter

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

• Fruit:

• 7 cups summer fruit (I used 2 cups blueberries (16 ounces), 2 cup blackberries (12 ounces), 2 cups sliced ripe peaches (from 3 peaches) and 1 cup raspberries (6 ounces)

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1. For the pastry, place the flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into tablespoons and each tablespoon into quarters. Scatter these in the bowl with the flour mixture. Pulse 7 to 8 times to cut the butter into the flour. Add the cold milk or water and pulse until the mixture comes together into a ball. Remove from the processor, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill at least an hour.

2. For the crumble, there is no need to wash the food processor bowl. Place the brown sugar, white sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon in the same bowl, and pulse until just combined. Cut the butter into tablespoons and each tablespoon into quarters. Scatter these in the bowl with the sugar mixture. Pulse until the mixture comes together into one mass. Add the oats and pulse again a few times to combine. Remove the crumble to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill at least an hour.

3. When you are ready to assemble the crumble, preheat the oven to 375ºF. Turn the fruit into a large mixing bowl and stir in the sugar. Spoon half of the sweetened fruit into the bottom of a 9- to 10-inch deep dish pie pan.

4. Remove the crust from the fridge. Scatter a little flour onto the kitchen counter, and roll out the pastry until it is about 1/4-inch thick and a 10- to 12-inch circle. Cut into 10 to 12 strips about 1-inch thick. Lay half of the strips on top of the fruit in the pie pan. Lattice the remaining strips on top. Trim off the excess so the pastry is flush with the sides of the pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the pastry lightly browns and the fruit is bubbly, about 25 minutes.

5. Remove the crumble from the fridge and the pan from the oven. Spoon the remaining sweetened fruit on top of the pie crust. With your fingers, crumble the crumble mixture generously on top. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the crumble browns and the fruit is bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove the pan from the oven, let it rest 15 minutes, then spoon into bowls and serve with vanilla ice cream.