Blackberry Cobbler

I still remember the first time my Dad took me out all by myself for a "date". I was young and we still had that old maroon Malibu. It must have been just after my birthday because I brought my new purse with me. My very first "grown-up" purse. It was lavender with tiny embroidered flowers. I don't know what I had inside it....more then likely something to do with Hello Kitty. We went to Shoney's and shared my Dad's favorite dessert, this layered chocolate cake. Can't remember the name of it because that's not what was important. The whole goal of ordering that cake was to see if my Dad could eat it all before it fell over!

As we all know, and to all of our disappointments, Shoney's is closed. Well at least it is by me. So when Shoney's closed, my Dad and I had to find a new spot for dessert. Enter The Dixie Cafe. The only prerequisite for dining at this old fashion establishment was if the plaque on the wall for pie of the day read "Blackberry" If not, no need to even bother. It didn't matter how much I ate beforehand, I always found room for their blackberry cobbler. It was just the right size for one person, in a white ceramic bowl, always warm and tops with vanilla ice cream just starting to melt by the time it got to your table. Perfect. Absolutely Perfect. When I was engaged to David, I took him there one night to enjoy this wonderful experience but we never got to dessert. We had a very untimely pest visit our table and lost our appetites completely. I never could bring myself to try again after that.

As we approach our 6 year anniversary it is shocking to think that it has been 6 years since I have had that wonderful, gooey cobbler. So just this week I thought I would give it a shot. Blackberries had been staring at me all summer long in the grocery store and then they went on sale so I had to try. How hard could it be to make cobbler? I had no idea but I found a recipe. Fully expecting to be completely let down since nothing I would make could possible compare to Dixie Cafe's masterpiece. Armed with even a small white bowl and vanilla ice cream I served myself the perfect serving for one. Took a bite and immediately I was a teenager back in those wooden booths chatting with my dad looking at the old porch swing that hangs on the walls with that rather over size brown teddy bear on it. Remember that? Wasn't there a pot of red flowers next to him too? It was magic. And I made it.

Needless to say, there's a second cobbler in my fridge now, just waiting to be warmed and scooped into that small white bowl and topped with vanilla ice cream.....who needs Dixie Cafe?!