“Blackberries cook up to such a beautiful and dramatic deep black-purple, you could serve this at a fancy dinner party or enjoy it on a picnic blanket.” -Paula Deen, Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible

I hadn’t been in my new home 48-hours when I decided to break the kitchen in and cook up a blackberry cobbler from Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible, one of my favorite Christmas gifts. Though mixing bowls, pots and spoons were still boxed up, I knew a little digging would be worthwhile for this southern classic—and believe you me, it was.

Start by bringing  a cup of sugar and four cups of blackberries to a boil. I used frozen blackberries because they’re cheaper and I had them on hand. I just love blackberries.

Once the oven was pre-heated, I melted one stick of butter in my new casserole dish (thanks mama!).

After combining the dry ingredients, whisk your milk in slowly to prevent clumping.

Next, pour the mixture into the melted butter, but don’t stir.

I love to see the sugar and blackberries come together. You could pour this combination right over the top of ice cream as is, or blend it up with some ice cream and milk and have you a blackberry shake.

Then, spoon your blackberries into the dish evenly throughout. This part is fun.

Don’t forget your sauce. Drizzle it down over the blackberries. Once it cooks up, you’ll see it swirled all through the cobbler.

Beautiful! The cobbler is ready when it’s lightly browned and firm to the touch.

Never have I wanted a scoop of cold, vanilla ice cream so badly…what a tragedy that there was none in the house.