Carolyn's Oh-So-Easy Cherry Cobbler

My husband's birthday was last month, and I asked him what he wanted for his "birthday dessert." He requested the cheesecake I've made for him for the last few years, and he also asked for cherry cobbler. One of his aunts makes a killer cherry cobbler (memo to self: I need to get that recipe) every year for their family's Christmas gathering, and he wanted a taste of home.

We were attending a party the week before his actual birthday, so I told him I'd bake the desserts for that party - there is no sense in us having two full desserts to eat when it just him and I (and the baby, but she's not quite ready for cheesecake just yet). The party was billed as a holiday party, hosted by some friends, but it was actually a surprise birthday/poker party for my husband. I was very excited about the party, and I was quite pleased with myself for keeping such a secret, and then he found out that the party was for him ... nine hours before the party was to begin. Sigh.

But the party went on, and it was a blast, full of good friends, good times, and of course, good food. I was baking a lot that week for Christmas gifts and gatherings, so I wanted something fool-proof, cheap and simple. I found what I was looking for with this recipe.

I'm not a cobbler expert, but the buttermilk baking mix of this dish definitely came through. I think I was prepared for something sweeter, like a cherry pie, but after I had a few bites, it really started to grow on me. We served it cold, but I imagine it would be absolutely delicious served warm.

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can pitted tart red cherries, drained with liquid reserved
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup buttermilk baking mix
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a 9x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Stir the liquid from the cherries and 1/2 cup sugar together in a small glass bowl; heat in the microwave until the sugar is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.

3. Stir the baking mix, 1/2 cup sugar, and milk together in a separate small bowl; mix until you get a moist batter. Spread the mixture in an even layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread the cherries evenly over the batter. Slowly pour the cherry juice over the cherries.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information:
Amount Per Serving:  Calories: 231 | Total Fat: 0.7g | Cholesterol: 2mg

Source: allrecipes.com

A peachy time

When my parents came into town, I wanted to do something new, something different. They’ve been to Arizona more times than any of us can count, and they’ve seen pretty much all the touristy stuff there is to see.
Enter, Peach Festival.
I’d always heard good things about this festival, which takes place at Schnepf Farms just one weekend out of the year. They pick tons and tons of juicy peaches off tons and tons of peach trees, and they sell them (along with arts and crafts, homemade jams, and other fun treats).
So we piled into the rental car and headed alllllll the waaaaayyyyy to Queen Creek, about an hour and 15 minutes away.
And let me tell you. It was worth it.
First of all, there was this:

Yes, that’s right. Homemade peach ice cream. I cannot even describe how creamily awesome this was. Now I want to learn to make ice cream.
Then came the main event: the peaches. I bought a big box of them. Like, 25 peaches. Twenty-five of the juiciest, ripest peaches I have ever tasted. They’re so juicy, you practically have to drink them. See:

I took 8 of the peaches and made this:

Yes, that’s right. Peach cobbler. Where did I get the recipe, you wonder? From Carrie Schnepf, of Schnepf Farms.
Her farm, her peaches, her cobbler recipe. I knew this was going to be good.
I hit a few hiccups, admittedly. The recipe called for a 2-quart baking dish. I opted for a deep, round 2-quart baking dish.
The result was that the cobbler part became too concentrated at the top, melded together, and didn’t mix properly with the peaches, as it would have if it were more spread out.
So, after baking it for 30 minutes, realizing the mistake, and discussing baking strategy with my mom, I dumped it into a 9x12 dish, sprinkled a little more sugar on top, and threw it back in for another 10 minutes.

The cobbler part still turned out a bit too soft, but it didn't matter. It was DELICIOUS. It’s good at room temperature, it’s good cold, and I suspect it would be good with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Say hello to my new May tradition.

Ingredients

Filling:
8 fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced into thin wedges

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1/4 cup boiling water

Sprinkled topping:
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2-quart baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Blend in butter with fingertips or pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.
Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them.
Mix 3 tablespoons white sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon and sprinkle onto cobble. Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Source: Carrie Schnepf, azcentral.com