Red, White and Blueberry Cobbler

Hope everyone is enjoying their 4th of July celebrations!  I know I am!  This is one of my most favorite holidays.  It's always a time for family... and food!  Or at least that's how it works in our family. 

This year we are enjoying a getaway at my parents' house and they live on a big beautiful river that we have been swimming and boating in all weekend.  And fishing!  Last night, the fish were jumping on the docks to get in our bellies.  We had a wonderful fish fry this evening and needed a special red, white, and blue dessert.  Here's what I came up with...

I'll apologize now for not having more photos.  I took bunches as I made this but as I finished watching all of the firework displays up and down the river, I realized that my cord to connect my camera to my laptop is at home.  Boo!  I snapped this shot with my phone earlier today so I'm sharing it now.  I would wait to share the recipe but this one cannot wait -- make it NOW!  It's worth it!

I had 2 pints of blueberries in the refrigerator and there's not much that we love more than cobbler.  I figured blueberry cobbler would be perfect.  But when's the last time I made something regular and expected for my family.  They are always willing to be guinea pigs when I want to try something new.  Last night, I was reading some other blogs and saw someone had make Lemon Blueberry cupcakes.  Is there a better flavor combination?  And what if I threw in some cream cheese?  I went to bed with yummy dreams last night and this morning I knew exactly what I wanted to try.

My aunt taught me to make cobbler many years ago with what we called the 'Cupa Cupa' method.  It was so easy to remember!  Melt a stick of butter in your pan, mix a cupa flour and a cupa sugar and a cupa milk and pour it over the melted butter.  Then top with fruit of your choice and bake.  Easy Peasy!

I used this basic idea but I added a few twists... of lemon, that is!  And a little cheesecake batter, just for fun!  I started by mixing up the cheesecake mixture -- just cream cheese, lemon zest, sugar, and eggs.  I preheated the oven and put my pan with a stick of butter in it into the oven as it preheated.  Why dirty up another dish to melt butter?  While that was going on, I heated my blueberries over medium heat with some sugar, lemon juice and zest.  They began to soften and bubble and smell so good!  I could have let them cool and eaten them all by myself!  My family better be glad that I love them!  I mixed the flour and sugar together in another bowl and then added milk with a splash of vinegar to make it curdle like buttermilk.  Why not?

So now for the good part...  Just pour the flour batter over the melted butter.  Then pour the fruit over that, then the cream cheese mixture over that.  That's all!  No stirring!  It went into the oven and came out perfect!  I hate to admit that I had two bowls of this.  But it was that good.

Oh!  And you may wonder why I'm calling this red, white and blue.  We topped each BLUEberry serving with WHITE vanilla icecream and RED strawberry whipped cream.  Festive!

Since I don't have anymore pictures to share now, here's the recipe... 

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Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Cobbler

8 oz cream cheese, softened
zest of 1 lemon, divided
juice of 1 lemon
2 1/4 c sugar, divided
1 c self rising flour
1 c milk
1 tsp vinegar
2 pints fresh blueberries
2 eggs
1 stick of butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using an electric mixer on low, mix cream cheese, 1/2 c sugar, 1/2 of the lemon zest and 2 eggs until smooth.  Set aside.

Place stick of butter in 9x13 baker and place in oven to melt while mixing the rest of the ingredients.

In small saucepan, heat blueberries, 3/4 c sugar, lemon juice, and other 1/2 of lemon zest until berries start to soften and all sugar is dissolved in the juice.

In a separate mixing bowl, mix flour and 1 c sugar until blended.  Then add milk and vinegar.  Let it sit for about a minute so that the milk will curdle a little.  Blend everything together until smooth.

Pour batter over the melted butter.  Do not stir.  Top batter with blueberries and juice.  Then added cream cheese mixture in spoonfuls over the fruit.  Sprinkle with sugar and place in oven for 35-40 minutes.

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Optional: Strawberry Whipped Cream

8 oz heavy whipping cream

1/4 c strawberry preserves*

Use an electric mixture to whip the cream until stiff peaks begin to form.  Add preserves and beat until just mixed.

*I use my homemade strawberry freezer jelly -- made according to the directions found on the Ball freezer pectin.

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Melt in Your Mouth Mondays
This Week's Cravings
Nap Time Creations' Tasty Tuesday
Sugar and Dot's What I Whipped Up Wednesday
This Chick Cooks' These Chicks Cooked
Lady Behind the Curtain's Cast Party Wednesday
Daily Organized Chaos' Foodie Wednesday
Paisley Passions' Thrilling Thursday
Miz Helen's Country Cottage's Full Plate Thursday
Something Swanky's Sweet Treats Thursday
Around My Family Table's Turning the Table Thursday
Little Brick Ranch's Foodie Friday
Tidy Mom's I'm Lovin It
Simply Sweet Home's Friday Favorites
The Frugal Girls' Chic & Crafty Party
Alli n Son's Sweet Tooth Friday
Whipperberry's Friday Flair
Sweet As Sugar Cookie's Sweets for Saturday
Six Sister's Stuff's Strut Your Stuff Saturday
A Well Seasoned Life's Sweet Indulgences Sunday
Bizzy B Bakes' Baking with Bizzy
Recipe Sharing Monday