Berry cool and berry easy summer desserts (Using Frozen Blueberries)

This week, I’m going to give you two different ways to make berry crisps/cobblers – one the “old-fashioned way,” which requires a little mixing and a little blending of the topping; the other is a near-instant dessert recipe which uses only one dish, no mixing, no cooking techniques required, and will fool most people into believing it’s “homemade.” In fact, the preparation for the Berry Cobbler for Dummies Recipe is so fast that you can have it ready to go before your oven preheats to the cooking temperature! A perfect recipe for novice cooks, or just folks pressed for time.


The “Original” Blueberry Crisp Recipe (originally by Master Chef Jim Dodge)

6 cups blueberries (I use frozen wild blueberries, defrosted)
1 tablespoon instant tapioca
1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (see note for substitution options)


1. Preheat the oven to 375º F. Put the berries into a 2½-quart oval baking dish, about 12”x10” (or a 9x13” rectangular dish), about 2 inches deep. In a small bowl, blend the tapioca with 2 tablespoons of the Sugar. Add to the berries and toss to mix.
2. In a medium bowl, blend the flour with the remaining 1½ cups sugar. Add the butter pieces and toss the mixture to coat the butter pieces. Then pinch the butter pieces between your fingers to form thin flakes. Then picking up small handfuls of the flour-sugar-butter topping mixture, gently rub the dough between your hands repeatedly (like rubbing your hands together for warmth, when you’re cold, but more slowly) until it turns golden in color and forms a coarse meal (like cornmeal). Add the lemon zest and toss to mix well. (Note: if you don’t have or don’t know how to make lemon zest, ignore this step, adding 2-3 drops of lemon juice to the fruit mixture instead).
3. Squeeze the topping mixture into clumps with your hands, and crumble the clumps over the blueberries, covering them evenly. Do NOT press the topping into the fruit.
4. Bake at 375º F for about 35 minutes, or until the juices start to bubble and the topping is a scrumptious golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes; serve warm. (It is also excellent cold, but warm really is my personal favorite). Serves 6-8.

The “Berry Cobbler for Dummies” Recipe

(Adapted from Meghan Pembleton’s Easy Berry Cobbler recipe)


1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling (I use Comstock);
1 pint (16 ounces) blueberries, either fresh or defrosted from frozen;
1 box yellow cake mix (Moist Deluxe Duncan Hines works well);
1½ sticks butter, melted (3/4 cup)

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. Spread Cherry Pie filling in an ungreased 9x13 baking dish.
3. Top cherry pie filling with blueberries
4. Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the top evenly; shake the baking dish back and forth a little if needed to evenly distribute the mix over the fruit filling.
5. Pour the melted butter over the top.
6. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top is a light golden brown. Allow to cool in pan 5-10 minutes before serving. The crust will be dry and crumbly.
7. As you serve this, mix the crumb topping into the fruit mixture a little. If you want to be really decadent, top with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.

And that’s all there is to it. Either of these recipes will delight your family or friends or coworkers, and the Berry Cobbler recipe really couldn’t be easier – I timed it, and it took me 3 minutes from start to finish. The Cobbler recipe is also a very handy dish to take to pot luck summer get-togethers!


Don't forget - for more recipes using frozen and convenience foods, or to read genuine consumer-to-consumer reviews of more than 1,600 frozen dinners, meals and entrees, check out The Icebox Diner!

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