Wild West Cobbler

Legendary gunslinger Jesse James had a sweet tooth only a mother's cobbler could cure

Coastal Kitchen - A cobbler that won the West

It's been said that a way to a man's heart is through his stomach. If it's true, legendary outlaw Jesse James knew a mother's love like no other. Zerelda James, mother of outlaws Frank and Jesse James, was the tough matriarch of their Missouri family farm as well as quite a cook who could whip up a tasty blackberry cobbler.

We gave Zerelda's 120-year-old recipe to frontier style cook Jalet Farrell to see if it was their mother's cooking that drove the James brothers into a life of crime. After tasting the results, we're convinced the memory of their mother's cobbler is what kept the boys alive in those long hours hiding out in the Maramec Caverns.

Read the True West story that inspired us to try this recipe.

Zerelda’s Blackberry Cobbler

• 1 cup flour
• 2 t. baking powder
• ½ t. salt
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 2½ cups blackberries (We used frozen berries from last summer...)
• 1 cup sugar
• Fresh cream

Directions:

In an un-greased, eight-inch cast iron skillet, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.

Add milk and stir.

Add butter and stir until blended.

In a separate bowl, combine the blackberries and sugar, and let them sit for 30 minutes.

Spoon the berries over the batter.

Bake in a 375°F oven for 45-55 minutes, or until the dough rises and is golden.

Serve warm with fresh cream.

Lodge Cast Iron Products from Coastal

Whether your on the trail, in the campground of home cooking, Coastal has the Lodge cast iron cooking supplies your looking for. From dutch ovens and lid lifters to skillets and griddles.

Here's a list of Lodge Cast Iron items you can find at Coastal.