Royal Anne cherries are a total treat. Fragile and easily bruised, sometimes you gotta make the best out of a mashed up situation. My fave mash-up is an upside down cobbler that goes with absolutely any fruit out there. Reminiscent of a clafoutis, its probably got more butter in it than anyone should eat in a lifetime.
Someday, B is gonna make me do this one with bananas, I can tell. He is a nanner junkie.
Basic Upside Down Cobbler:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put a pie plate in the oven with 1/4 cup butter. Let it melt as the pan and oven preheat. Grab a Lipitor, some Metamucil tablets and arrange running shoes for later.
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup Splenda (I use half sugar, half Splenda, actually)
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 cup butter, divided in half
1 cup milk
Spice:
To your liking- ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon or orange zest… or none at all
Extract:
To your liking- a teaspoon of almond, orange, lemon, vanilla, coconut, maple… some booze
Fruit:
Italian plum, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, apricot, peach, pear, cherry, nanner slices, rhubarb, mango, apple, pineapple, fig, pomegranate.
Extras:
Dark chocolate chips with cherries or pears, toasted coconut with pineapple, candied ginger with peach… get creative or keep it simple.
Get it done:
Sift dry ingredients together and cut in 1/4 cup butter. Add milk and blend. Remove dish from oven onto a cutting board as you work.
Pour batter into the dish and evenly sprinkle fruit on top. It will sink, so don’t be afraid to be generous. Before you dash it back into the oven, go a head and sprinkle a spice on top if you wish. I like mine nekkid.
Bake for about 40 minutes or until its set in the middle. I serve mine hot, as fresh fruit tends to soggify things the longer they sit in the batter.
Notes…
I’ve not made this recipe for years since giving up most sweets and baked goods, but in the name of science, by golly, I am going to eat this dessert after photographing it for you. Am I a totally awesome, self-sacrificing chick or what?!?
