E and I went for our annual 20 km hike around Lake Fanshawe on the weekend. We perfectly timed our trek with black raspberry season after being just a bit too early last year. Tupperware container in hand, I was ready to forage… but was I ready for the mosquitoes?
We managed to bring home roughly 2 cups of wild black raspberries… and just over 3 dozen mosquito bites between the two of us. I’m itching as we speak! Unsure of what to do with the berries, I did some searching. A lot of blood, sweat, and near tears went into these berries and I wanted to find a great recipe. Originally I decided on healthy raspberry cobbler bars, but then changed my mind after stumbling across a recipe for a mango berry cobbler. I had 2 mangos lying around, along with some buttermilk and half a lemon that needed to be used up quickly. This was the perfect way to kill several birds with one stone.
Freshly Foraged Wild Black Raspberries
The cobbler smelled delicious coming out of the oven, but… the taste was slightly disappointing. Being a McCormick’s recipe, it called for what seemed like a LOT of cinnamon and ginger. I’m a cinnamon-lover but even I thought it was excessive (of course, this is quite strategic from McCormick’s perspective, being a spice company and all). Instead of trusting my gut, I followed the recipe as written and the result was an overly spiced, slightly bitter cobbler. On the bright side, a dollop of vanilla yogurt served alongside the cobbler muted some of the spice and made for a much more enjoyable dessert.
Black Raspberry-Mango Cobbler
Below I’ve posted some changes to the original recipe that I will try next time. This cobbler has a lot of potential, so I’ll definitely be making it again (perhaps when peaches are in season… mmmm).
Black Raspberry-Mango Cobbler
(adapted from McCormick’s Mango-Blueberry Cobbler)
Filling:
3 cups mango, peeled and sliced (or peaches)
2 cups black raspberries (or red raspberries, or blueberries)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Biscuit Topping:
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
4 3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8″ x 8″ baking dish with non-stick spray.
- For the filling, combine mango, berries, and lemon juice in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup sugar and cornstarch. Sprinkle over fruit and toss to coat well. Spoon into prepared dish.
- For the biscuit topping, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Mix with a fork. Add buttermilk and mix well.
- Drop biscuit topping by rounded tablespoonfuls into 6 portions onto fruit mixture.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until fruit is bubbling and topping is browned. Serve warm.
Makes 6 servings (3/4 cup each). Per serving: 185 kcal, 1 g fat, 5.8 g fibre, 120 mg sodium
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