Our Presidents Day Dessert
I just put a cherry cobbler in the oven—yes, I know it’s not even lunchtime here yet, but I’ve learned that if I don’t cook early in the day, I won’t cook at all—and I thought that in honor of Presidents Day, I’d reprise this old post which contains a very nice cobbler recipe, if you can wade through all my nonsense to find it.
(Whyyy won’t WordPress center my images anymore? I keep telling it to center, and it blatantly ignores me.)
Breakfast of Champions
Originally posted November 2005
I have just polished off—with considerable help from children doing their finest ravenous-baby-bird impersonations—the remnants of the cherry cobbler I baked for teatime last week. We will pause here while people who know me well digest this news. Yes. I BAKED. From scratch. Well, the cherries were canned but I did actually have to crack an egg. And measure things. And—are you ready for this?—”cut in butter.” Oh sure, most of you out there probably cut butter into a flour mixture as easily as breathing, but SOME of us find these things a lot more complicated than, say, writing a novel. To be fair, I must disclose that Jane did most of the actual cutting-in. But I put the cobbler in the oven and took it out when it was done. Not burned. Not still gooey in places. Really truly perfectly done. Also, I whipped cream. (Gasps arise from my friends.)
Anyway, I have decided that cherry cobbler is the world’s most perfect food. (Well, right after dark-chocolate-and-marzipan bars. And my mom’s fried okra.) The cherries, not too tart, not too sweet, bursting with antioxidants, so the can assures me. The biscuity cobbler topping, only slightly sweet, with a lovely cake-like texture. And then of course the whipped cream, which, now that I think about it, really might be God’s most awesome invention. And so foolproof that even I can’t mess it up.
I have informed my children that we’re going to be eating lots and lots of cobbler from now on. They appear to be amenable to this plan. I will now share the recipe so you know what to serve for dessert next time you have me over.
Fruit Cobbler for the Incompetent Cook
Ingredients:
1 can cherry pie filling (or blueberry, apple, whatever)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional–I didn’t use it)
3 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 beaten egg
3 tablespoons milk
Preheat oven to 400. Dump pie filling in an ungreased 8×8 baking dish and stick in oven to warm up while you mix the topping. (Cookbook will prattle on about how to make fruit filling from scratch, but you know your limits.)
In bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and if desired, cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Do not panic if you have no idea what that means. Google can offer a ready explanation. Or ask your oldest child, who seems to have an innate knack for these things. Better yet, let her do it. You can still claim credit with your friends because after all, YOU made her.
In another bowl, combine egg and milk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just to moisten.
Take baking dish out of oven. Drop topping into mounds atop filling. Do not forget that the baking dish is HOT. When you do forget, drop spoon into filling and rush to sink to put burned hand under cold water. Allow oldest child to gingerly fish spoon out of filling and resume dropping mounds of topping into dish (which child will not forget is hot, because 1) you are yowling at sink and 2) she has more than half a brain). Assure younger children that your burn is not serious. Resolve to yowl under your breath next time, so as not to alarm small children.
Turn off cold water, dry burned hand, stifling scream when towel touches burned part, and resume impersonation of capable, domestically skilled mother. Start to pick up baking dish and thank children for alerting you with frantic shrieks that you are about to touch hot dish once again. Pick up potholders, which are lying on counter right next to hot baking dish and which were custom-made for you on a potholder loom in colors so bright it is surprising that you failed to notice them when you reached for the scalding-hot dish in the first place. USING POTHOLDERS, place dish in oven. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in topping comes out clean. Possibly entrust this task to your oldest child, as you are sure to burn yourself again if you attempt it.
Serve warm with freshly made whipped cream, which (thank heavens) even you cannot mess up.
To celebrate, eat three servings. But save enough for tomorrow’s breakfast.
Image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy.
Jennifer says:
I think this was the very first post I ever read on ‘Here in the Bonny Glen’. It’s just as lovely today. How fun!
On February 16, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Sara says:
You mean this was a re-run? I wondered how you were baking with a new baby!
You know, you can mess up whipped cream by overbeating it and turning it into butter. That would be yucky on cherry cobbler—and are you still feeding your kids lots of cobbler?
On February 16, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Heather says:
I think it’s centering your pictures. It’s the ribbon on the left hand side. It’s throwing off your page layout. Does that make sense?
You want the pictures to center on the yellow column in the middle of the page. But, that column is actually a little more to the right than that. I don’t think it’s anything to worry about though.
Your giving me so hope as I contemplate what it’s going to be like to add number 4.
On February 16, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Margaret in Minnesota says:
Husband is at the range right now and I’ve just emailed him to see if he can pick up cherry pie filling on the way home.
If he doesn’t, well, it’s not MY fault there’s no Presidents’ Day dessert!
(I am all about excuse-making, I am.)
On February 16, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Cheryl M. says:
Oh, Lissa, I love your recipe details! So funny 🙂 I have a can of cherry pie filling in my pantry as I type…it stares at me when I go in there for other ingredients. This coming Friday, I’ll give that can of filling its turn to come out of the closet! 🙂 My oldest comes in from college that night and he’ll surely love your recipe. Thanks. 🙂
On February 16, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Penny in VT says:
I will definitely try this, your recipes have always been a hit here, with or without ham!
Glad all is well in your world 🙂
On February 17, 2009 at 9:09 am
Cheryl M. says:
I made your recipe tonight cause I just couldn’t wait till Friday. I posted a pic on my blog of the cobbler fresh out of the oven. Oohhhh, it’s so good!!!!! 🙂
On February 17, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Andrea says:
FYI: If you did ever overbeat the cream, thus turning it into butter? Just beat in some additional cream and it will magically turn back into whipped cream…
Love this recipe! Tomorrow I buy canned cherries (as I, too, know my limits…)
On February 25, 2009 at 10:29 pm
3boysmom says:
I printed this recipe for my son, who happens to be an excellent cook. He took one look at the title, laughed, and asked if I was trying to insult him! Next time I’ll read a bit more carefully 🙂
On February 28, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Jennifer says:
Found this in 2011 – made it promptly for my kids, and we all LOVED the biscuit topping (even with 100% whole wheat flour). Easy and delicious – something my daughter (8) can begin to make on her own soon, I hope, since I want to be eating it often from now on. I’ve got some peaches defrosting from the freezer as I write…
On February 23, 2011 at 10:41 am