Last weekend down in Poteet,Texas we celebrated the annual Strawberry Festival with pies, cakes, drinks, and breads, all made from luscious Texas strawberries. The beginning of berry season reminds me of the blackberry cobblers my mother made when I was a child. Gathering the first ripe blackberries of the season was always an adventure, and then to dig into a warm bowl of cobbler topped with ice cream…well, it didn’t get any better than that. When I was writing Beyond All Measure  it was very easy to imagine blackberry cobbler as the favorite dessert of  my hero, Wyatt Caldwell.  Here’s an easy, prize-winning version of Miss Lillian’s “receipt” for this classic summer treat:

Combine 2 and a half cups fresh blackberries with one cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest. Let stand 20 minutes till fruit syrup forms. Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup milk. Then stir in 1/2 cup melted butter. Don’t over mix. Spread in an ungreased 8 inch square pan. Spoon the blackberry mixture over the batter.

Bake 45-55 minutes or until the dough rises and is golden brown. Serve warm with cream or ice cream.

Do you  have a favorite summer dessert you’d be willing to share? Send it in!