Red, white and Blueberry Cobbler: America’s Test Kitchen shares its incredible berry cobbler

Asking chef Jack Bishop, the chief creative officer for America’s Test Kitchen, about his favorite dessert is a bit like asking someone to choose a favorite child. But this blueberry cobbler and a from-scratch Summer Berry Trifle are among his Fourth of July faves.

“It’s summer!” he says. “You want to do something festive, because it’s the Fourth. But don’t do more than you have to do. The cobbler is the easy recipe here, and what I love is that it isn’t that sweet. The fruit’s really the star. So many fruit desserts have so much sugar in them, you’re obscuring the fruit flavor. This recipe lets the fruit shine.”

The America’s Test Kitchen recipe uses several easy but key tricks to elevate it. Besides scaling back the sugar, the recipe adds fresh lemon to the berries for brightness.

And the berry filling is baked on its own until it’s hot and bubbling, before you add dollops of the buttermilk biscuit dough. That way the biscuits cook from the bottom up, flaky and perfect, not gummy. A quick brush with melted butter right after baking adds texture and, of course, richness.

“This recipe perfectly doubles for a crowd,” Bishop says. “Rather than using the 8-by-8 pan, go to a 13-by-9. I’ve made this recipe quite a lot and it’s fine to make it three to four hours in advance, and throw it back in a 200-degree oven so it’s a teeny bit warm. You are going to serve it with vanilla ice cream.”

Yes sir! We are. As for leftovers …

“Oh please,” Bishop says crisply. “If there are any leftovers, my kids expect cobbler for breakfast the day after.”

America’s Test Kitchen’s Summer Blueberry Cobbler Serves 8 Note: You can substitute unthawed frozen blueberries for fresh berries, but increase the baking time in step 3 to 40 minutes. Ingredients Biscuit topping: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

5 teaspoons sugar, divided use

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup buttermilk 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter Filling: 3/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice Pinch salt 30 ounces (6 cups) blueberries Directions Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

For the biscuit topping: Whisk flour, 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, stir buttermilk and melted butter together (butter will clump; this is OK); set aside.

For the filling: Combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and salt in large bowl. Add blueberries and lemon juice and mix gently with a rubber spatula to combine. Transfer berry mixture to an 8-inch square baking pan. Place pan on prepared sheet and bake until filling is hot and starting to bubble around edges, about 25 minutes. Transfer sheet to wire rack and gently stir berry mixture. Increase oven temperature to 475 degrees.

Once oven reaches 475 degrees, finish the biscuit topping: Add the buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until just incorporated. Using a greased 1/4-cup measuring cup, drop 9 scant scoops of dough, evenly spaced, onto the hot berry filling. Sprinkle tops with remaining 2 teaspoons sugar.

Bake until biscuits are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center biscuit comes out clean, 12 to 14 minutes. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter and brush over biscuits. Let cobbler cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.