Melissa's Quick Mixed Berry Whatchamacallit

I am no where near accomplished enough as a cook to tell a crumble from a cobbler or a pandowdy. This website helped... http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/CobblerHistory.htm but still. Meh.

I was at Trader Joe's today with two children and a cranky husband. It was better than being outdoors in unheard-of-for-New-England 100+ temperatures ... but only just. While the small monsters melted down in the frozen foods isle, I spied Trader Joe's Very Cherry Blend Frozen Berries. Swoon. I had visions of pies or lord knows what and grabbed two one-pound bags before the kids could see.

As the end of the day neared and the kids spun around me like rabid tornados (What? You can't visualize a tornado with rabies? Rookie.) I quietly dumped one bag into a strainer in the sink to thaw. Awwww. Look how sad it looks. DUMP ... here's your friend, Bag Number Two.

So. What to top it with? Hmmm.

Dare I? Dare I violate the heartfelt wish of my precious six year old? "Mummy ... please buy us cinnamon rolls for breakfast ... please!!!" Dare I pop open that luscious package of already prepared dough, pre-smeared with enough butter, cinnamon and sugar to make Julia Child raise her glass in saute to me from the other side?

You bet your sweet bippy.

So its 10pm (fireworks yesterday and a late amusment park trip on friday have essentially killed our sleep schedule). My three year old is trying to coerce the six year old to read to her. The six year old is trying to go to sleep in the bedroom, occasionally hollering out math questions ("MOOOOOM ... is 12+12 40?). And in the oven we have some nummy smelling concoction that *I* will eat before bed. And THEY will wait for until morning. Neener neener.

If you feel like replicating...

Melissa's Quick Mixed Berry Whatchamacallit (yeah baby)
2 lbs of mixed berrys - if frozen, thaw & strain
1 tube pop & bake cinnamon rolls
1/4-1/3 c dark brown sugar
1-2 tbl raw sugar
butter for greasing pan

Preheat oven to temp called for on roll pkg
Butter heavy pan - this would totally work in a casserole, thick walled pie pan or even a deep cast iron skillet (ooooh I should have used that!)

Pour berries into pan. Sprinkle brown sugar on top and mix gently. Remove cinnamon rolls from tube (POP!) and cut into 1 to 2 inch chunks using kitchen shears, dropping chunks onto the berry mixture as you snip. Sprinkle with raw sugar.

Insert into center of over, placing a baking sheet or jellyroll pan underneath to catch drips. If you use a favorite pan for this, scrub that bad boy off as soon as you can or those juicy lumps will become permanent. I keep a few "disposable" (not for me) aluminum pans around just for this.

Bake as recommended on roll package - may need to cook longer. Add on time in 3 or 5 minute increments. Juices should be really bubbly and rolls nicely brown but not tough.

NOTE:
Ok, this was yummy. BUT.
1) Berries need to thaw for waaaaaaaaay more than I let them thaw. They should be ALL thawed and cool to room temperature. Why?
2) Becaaaaaaaause if berries are still frozen, dough against the berries won't cook even if top is totally crispy. Would make sense to check on this bad boy - flip over a few nuggets and make sure they are not still gooey.
3) Aaaaaaaaaaand b/c frozen berries still contain alot of juice. Dude I strained off more than a CUP of juice.

However, the flavors meld perfectly ... I would totally try this again :)