Grilled Red, White and Blueberry Cobbler

A Fourth of July celebration spent at home invariably involves the grill.  So why not keep it burning, long after you’ve polished off your stash of hot dogs, hamburgers and steaks?  Believe it or not, this highly patriotic, Red White and Blueberry dessert can actually be baked right over the coals.  So forget about overheating your house by turning on the oven, and spend the entire holiday happily tending the barbecue in your (or someone else’s) backyard!

Red, White & Blueberry Cobbler
(Serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

For the Filling:
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened
2 cups of blueberries
2 cups of raspberries
2 cups of strawberries
1/4 cup of light brown sugar
1/4 cup of flour
1 tablespoon of orange zest
1 tablespoon of fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
pinch of salt

For the Topping:
1 cup of flour
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
4 tablespoon of cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup of buttermilk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
whipped cream for serving

Directions: 
Preheat grill to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spread a 9×9 baking pan with 2 tablespoons of softened butter.  In a large bowl, combine the berries, brown sugar, flour, orange zest, orange juice, cinnamon and salt.  Pour into the buttered baking dish.

In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Add the cubes of butter and combine using your fingers until coarse crumbs form.  Pour in the buttermilk and vanilla extract.  Flour your hands and knead the dough in the bowl until the dough just comes together.  Divide the dough into 9 pieces, and drop on top of fruit.  Place the baking pan on the grill and cover.  Cook until the filling is bubbling and a toothpick inserted into the top comes out clean, about 30 minutes.  Spoon the warm cobbler into bowls and top with whipped cream.