Fruit Buckle

Peach Buckle made with home canned peaches

This could be called buckle and there are those who would call it cobbler. I call it Yum! Buckle is batter with fruit added and then a streusel topping added. As the batter of a buckle bakes it rises up around the fruit. Cobblers are made with the fruit mixture first then a biscuit type crust on top. Some buckles have heavy batters and others light; some have lots of topping others very little. This buckle is a light batter that needs no eggs and the only topping is a light sprinkling of brown sugar. It's cheap and easy to make. Any fruit can be used and if you like it can be a combination of fruit. Pick the fruit of your choice, apples, peaches, pears, plums and any berry, you decide. The fruit can be frozen, fresh or canned. Before being  measured, the fruit should be cleaned, drained, pealed and/or cut, all depending on the fruit.  Don't forget the ice cream or whip cream, or both to top it off.  I love this made with summer fruit and served at a barbecue with homemade ice cream or on a crisp fall evening as dessert after a warm homemade soup dinner. Really it's great any time of year.

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup milk

3 cups prepared fruit

1/2 cup brown sugar, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter sides and bottom of a 9x13 or 2 quart baking dish. In a medium bowl combined sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; whisk in milk; add melted butter and  whisk until all blended. Pour mixture into buttered baking dish. Sprinkle fruit on top off batter, trying to distribute evenly, Do Not Mix, Stir or Blend. Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar evenly over fruit and batter. Bake in 350 degree oven for 50 minutes. Sprinkle remain 1/4 cup of brown sugar over top of buckle, then return to over and bake for 10 more minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipping cream.

Gingerbread Man Pancakes

"Run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man."  Oh yes we can and love we every bite!

 

These pancakes are a new favorite at our house. My grandsons will eat as many as I will make them. They're perfect for a yummy Thanksgiving breakfast when the family has gathered. They taste extra yummy served with applesauce and warm maple syrup. I use my wonderful pancake pen my daughter gave me for Christmas last year, a must for every mom and grandma, to draw perfect little men or whatever shape is requested, but if you don't have a pancake pen don't let that stop you from making these for you family.

 They are yummy no matter what shape you choose. I wish I had this recipe when my kids were little and doing the gingerbread man unit in kindergarten, but I have it for the grandkids and you bet we have fun eating them up.

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk soured with lemon juice *
3 Tbs butter or margarine, melted
1 Tbs molasses
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbs ground cinnamon
1/2 ground ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Butter or cooking spray for grilling
Raisins, crannies or chocolate chips for decorating

*(to make sour milk, pour milk into a liquid measuring cup so that you are just about 2 Tbs shy of 1 cup. Add 2 Tbs of lemon juice to the milk making 1 full cup. Set aside the milk while lightly beating the egg and melting the melting the butter. The milk should lightly curdle, or you can always use real sour milk or butter milk.)

Combine egg, sour milk, melted butter and molasses . Sift together remaining dry ingredients and add to egg mixture, stirring just until moist.

 Spoon or using a pancake pen shape pancakes on to hot , lightly greased griddle. Raisins, crannies or chocolate chips can bee used for eyes and buttons. Cook until tops are covered with bubbles, turn and cook other side. Serve with butter, warm syrup and apple sauce. Makes about 3 cups of batter.