Berry Cobbler

6 cups of blackberries, or other berries

1 cup sugar

1 Tb quick-cooking tapioca

1 Tb butter, cut into pieces

1 ½ cups flour

½ cup sugar

2 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ cup butter, cut into pieces

½ cup buttermilk

1 Tb whipping cream

2 Tb sugar

Sweetened whipped cream

Vanilla ice cream

Combine berries, sugar, and tapioca in a medium bowl; let stand 15 minutes or until tapioca softens. Spoon berry mixture into a buttered 11-X17-inch baking dish, and dot with 1 tablespoon of butter. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes until berries are hot.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Cut ½ cup butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until crumbly; add buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gather dough into a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 5 or 6 times. Pat or roll dough into a rectangle to fit the baking dish.

Carefully place pastry over hot berries. Brush top of pastry with whipping cream, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Serve with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired. Serves 8.