Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  14              cups  fresh or frozen blackberries -- thawed if frozen
  1                cup  sugar -- plus
  2        tablespoons  sugar
     1/3           cup  quick-cooking tapioca
  3               cups  all-purpose flour
  1           teaspoon  salt -- optional
  1                cup  vegetable shortening
  3        tablespoons  water -- to 4 tbsps
  1         tablespoon  milk
  1               pint  heavy cream
     1/4           cup  powdered sugar
  1           teaspoon  vanilla

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and adjust the rack to the middle. Put the berries in a 9- by 13-inch pan and sprinkle with 1 cup sugar and the tapioca. Lightly flour a pastry cloth. Measure the flour and salt into a mixing bowl and cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter until it resembles cornmeal. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons water and form the mixture into a ball. Place the dough on the pastry cloth and roll out from the center to the shape of the pan, turning it over once. Place the pastry over the berries and trim the edges to fit inside the pan. Brush the milk over the pastry. Cut several vents in the dough and sprinkle on the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Whip the cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until thickened. Serve the cobbler while it is still warm with whipped cream.

Nutritional Information:

488 Calories (kcal); 32g Total Fat; (58% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 55mg Cholesterol; 194mg Sodium