A perfect, simple recipe for Valentine's Day. Even if you go out to a nice dinner, it’s nice to come home to a luscious dessert so you don't feel rushed in the restaurant. This is an easy recipe you can prepare in the morning or a day in advance. You can choose to heat it up and serve it with a dollop of whipped cream, ice cream, sweetened yogurt, or as is. The deep colors of the berries serve as a beautiful canvas in themselves.

I found this recipe in a cookbook called The Art of American Indian Cooking. It was in the “planters of the south“ section which includes states like Georgia, Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina. The Indian women from the Cherokee, Choctaw, Powhatan, Creek tribes and others are originators for classic Southern dishes like fried green tomatoes, stewed shrimp and okra, Brunswick stew and others. It really makes me want to visit the South! It also reminds me of some of my favorite books and authors when I was growing up, like Sing Down the Moon and Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell.

Aside from the history lesson, I hope you give this simple cobbler recipe a try, it’s so simple, I might make it my go-to recipe in the future. The secret is in buying 2 bags of frozen mixed berries, so you can make it anytime of the year.

Servings:

Ingredients:

Berries:

• 24 oz (1 ½ bags) mixed berries, fresh or frozen, no sugar added
• ¼ cup sugar
Topping:

• ½ cup coarse cornmeal
• ¾ cup flour
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup low fat milk
• ½ Tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons margarine, melted
Sauce:

• 1 Tablespoon honey
• ½ Tablespoon melted margarine
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F and get out a 2-quart square baking dish. No need to grease the dish.
2. Combine the milk and vinegar in a small cup and let it sit while you prepare the other ingredients for the topping. Melt 1 Tablespoon margarine in a small bowl in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. Set aside.
3. Whisk together all the dry ingredients in the topping — cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt. Gently stir in the milk mixture and melted margarine. Set aside.
4. Place the frozen mixed berries in the 2-quart dish and sprinkle in ¼ cup sugar.
5. Drop spoonfuls of the topping batter onto the berries, not covering all the berries.
I didn't use about 3 Tablespoons of the topping batter because I didn't want to cover all the berries. I made drop cookies with the leftover batter and baked them for 20 minutes in the same oven. They are great for dipping into the berry sauce. It also serves as a great pancake batter.
6. For the sauce, in a small bowl, microwave the margarine briefly, then add the honey, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Drizzle over the topping batter and some of the exposed berries.
7. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the topping turns a golden brown and bubbling. Serve warm with ice cream, or room temperature with powdered sugar, mint, or whipped cream.

Additional information: also appropriate for Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian diet