Buttercream Mixed Berry Cobbler in Mason Jars


Well, we did it – two other ladies and I managed to pull together an entire bridal shower this very afternoon! It was so much fun doing something for our friend who is getting married. James helped me out and catered a lunch of Caesar salad, blackened salmon with Beurre Blanc sauce, and roasted potatoes made to look like mushrooms. Originally, I was planning to either buy a cake or make cupcakes…

Mixed berry cobbler fruit dessert mason jars angle view

That didn’t happen, obviously.

When I stopped at the grocery store on Friday (after a full day at the Sewing Expo and a traffic jam), I perused the selection of cakes. Let’s just say it was pretty sad. Some of them would be okay for a children’s birthday party, but there was nothing readily available that would be appropriate for a shower. Many of them already had frosting damage from the plastic container making contact with it. Not good.

Then I picked up supplies to make cupcakes, but wasn’t looking forward to transporting them to the party venue and worrying about a frosting mishap.

Mixed berry cobbler fruit dessert mason jars top view

While rounding the corner of an aisle, I saw a few boxes of Ball Mason Jars and remembered that James suggested making cobbler in jars for the shower. I Googled this recipe on my phone and placed two 12 packs of half pint jars into the cart.

As soon as I got home, James helped me by running all of the jars through the dishwasher and I washed all of the lids by hand. The recipe is formulated for six servings, so I quadrupled it and altered it slightly by adding blueberries and strawberries along with the blackberries.Mixed berry cobbler fruit dessert mason jars side view

The recipe author used shallow, wide mouth half pint jars. Since the store only carried the taller jars, the cooking time was significantly longer – around 50-55 minutes. Once the batter started turning golden brown, I pulled them out of the oven. Also – I only filled the jars up 1/3 of the way with batter and spooned in the berry mixture so that everything came up to about the half full. You need to take into account that the cooked cobbler will expand in the jar.

Mixed berry cobbler fruit dessert mason jars fridge stackedIt was suggested that the cobbler be served with ice cream. I wanted this dessert to be entirely self-contained. So I made a buttercream topping and used a piping bag and star tip to fill the rest of the jars on top of the cobbler. If you do this, be sure to wait until the cobbler is completely cooled. If you don’t, the frosting will start to melt due to the high amount of butter and heavy cream.

Many buttercream frosting recipes are similar, I don’t really follow a recipe anymore – just do everything by eye. However, here is one that embodies how I make buttercream. Personally, I prefer to use heavy cream as it gives buttercream a richer flavor and texture.

Mixed berry cobbler fruit dessert mason jars buttercreamWhat I like about this dessert for parties:

  • Can make ahead of time and refrigerate
  • After pulling from the refrigerator, they can be left out for a few hours without worry of food spoilage
  • Jars serve as an all-in-one vessel for baking, transporting, and serving
  • Great for displaying at events as part of a theme décor
  • Favors to give out as guests are leaving
  • For added embellishment – can add ribbon, trim, or custom labels

See you next time!

– Jennifer





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