Blueberry Cobbler and Strawberry Jam

After calling every store in the vicinity the past two days, I finally found the freezer jam pectin I like. It's in a little envelope. If you have never made freezer jam, it is SO EASY. Just put four cups of cut up fruit in bowl, mash it with a potato masher, and then in separate bowl, mix the pectin with the sugar (my recipe uses 1 1/2 c. sugar to one package pectin to 4 cups fruit) stir the whole bunch together until dissolved, then ladle into 8 oz. freezer jars. Let sit 30 min. Voila! Freezer Jam! NO cooking needed!

I had enough of last year's blueberries in the freezer to do a cobbler recipe I found in the newspaper. The topping is actually more like a crumbly shortbread mixture rather than your typical doughy cobbler. Therefore the name:

A TECHNICALLY INCORRECT BUT VERY GOOD SUMMER FRUIT COBBLER

(That really was the name)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Filling:

6 c. diced fruit

1 1/2 c. sugar (depending on the sweetness of your fruit, may decrease sugar)

4 T. cornstarch

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

lemon juice, optional (I threw in a tsp.)

pinch salt

Place in a sprayed, or greased 7 c. baking dish

Blend topping:

10 T. butter, room temperature (Blend butter and sugars, vanilla together first)

1/3 c. white sugar

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/4. tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

Add 2 c. flour

Blend until crumbly. Spoon over filling lightly.

Bake 45-55 min. until bubbling and thick. Topping should be a rich golden brown.

Serve with ice cream, of course! We are going to break out the Donvier Ice Cream maker tonight.

You mix 4 c. of light cream or 1/2 and 1/2, vanilla and sugar (Yes, very fattening!) and put it into the frozen cylinder and crank it for a few min. and there you have it, homemade ice cream!

Now we'll need a jog around the block!