Rustic Blueberry-Strawberry Pie & Black Skillet Cobbler ~
~ Skirt in the Kitchen ~
There are hardly any measurements; just prepare, dump in, combine. You know what your taste buds like, and how sweet you like your fruit sweetened up for desserts. Just have enough berries for a large pie and extra for cobbler.
Reasonably eye the amount of granulated sugar you wish to stir strawberries and blueberries in for the liquid to become somewhat syrupy.
Add a little zest of lemon and orange; juice of lemon and orange. If you’re going for more sweetness than tartness, only use orange. Don’t forget 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Cover and set aside while preparing crust.
Combine together 3 cups all-purpose flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Work in cold shortening/lard and unsalted butter, each of 1/2 cup (butter- 1/2, lard or shortening- 1/2). Don’t work it in, completely, wanting semi-large chunks to aid in making it a flaky crust.
One tablespoon at a time, and with fingertips working the dough quickly, add 8-10 iced cold water tablespoons– depending on humidity, flour, etc… may vary.
Roll out dough, not thin, since this will be the pan as well as the crust for the fruit pie filling.
Into the fruit, stir in a heaping 1/4 cup flour or cornstach.
Fill pastry with fruit, dab butter onto fruit mixture before flapping up the sides to seal. Brush top of pastry with whisked egg, sprinkle turbinado (raw) sugar to add to the rustic look, texture and taste.
Lay over a bar pan lined with aluminum foil to catch any juices. Bake at 350 degrees F until juices are bubbly and running, pastry browned.
For Black Skillet Cobbler, measure 1 cup flour with 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon table salt.
Melt 1 stick of unsalted butter.
Pour in 1 can evaporated milk.
Whisk into dry ingredients.
Pour into large black cast-iron skillet that is well-seasoned.
Distribute fruit evenly and drizzle blackberry brandy over the very top before placing into the oven; also sprinkle sugar over it before baking. Have the same temperature in which the rustic pie was baked, 350 degrees F until browned.
Oh my gosh. How good does this look? Wow!