Spicy Blackberry Peach Cobbler

When there is really no local fruit in season, we must turn to our trusty freezers. Fortunately, frozen fruits can cook up into a nice cobblers. I adapted this cobbler recipe from an Emeril Lagasse recipe I saw on Good Morning America years ago. I took a few short cuts to cut down on prep time and replaced his blueberries with blackberries and the fresh fruit with frozen (of course, the fresh fruit version is wonderful, too!). This initially intrigued me because of the black pepper in the topping. It is unexpected but adds a wonderful, unidentifiable zip. It is super-easy and delicious. Try it for your next get together.

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Blackberry Peach Cobbler
1 1/2 c. water
1 1/4 c. brown sugar substitute such as Splenda Brown Sugar Blend or light brown sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1/2 t. salt
1 1/4 t. cinnamon
3/4 t. nutmeg
pinch of black pepper (or 1/8 t.)
2 c. fresh or frozen blackberries (thaw if frozen)
2 lbs. (3 c.) fresh or frozen peaches (thawed or peeled, pitted, and cut into wedges if fresh)
1/2 c. flour
1 c. old-fashioned oats
1/2 stick butter or equal amount of spread such as Smart Balance, cut into small pieces
1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust (I like Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust)
sweetened whipped cream(try one of my flavored whipped creams, see posts at left)
non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350. Combine 1 1/2 cups of water, 3/4 cup of Splenda / brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of grated nutmeg, and pepper, in a saucepan and stir until smooth. Cook over high heat until mixture boils. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Combine blackberries and peaches in a mixing bowl and pour the cooked syrup over the fruit. Toss well and cool for 10 minutes. In another bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup Splenda / brown sugar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/2 cup of flour, 1 cup of oatmeal, and Smart Balance / butter. Using your fingers, work the mixture together until it resembles coarse crumbs. Place unbaked pie crust in desired pie pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the fruit mixture into the prepared pie shell. Sprinkle the topping over the top of the fruit filling. Bake for 1 hour, or until the crust is golden. Remove the pie from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with sweetened and / or flavored whipped cream (I like cinnamon whipped cream with this).