By now, you probably know that I’m a bit lazy in the kitchen. My recipes are so simple! They typically require no more than five or six ingredients, thirty minutes, and few pots, pans, and utensils to wash. I never forget to add that invisible ingredient called love which always infuses my creations with not only taste, but feel. I use the highest quality ingredients available and then food doesn’t need much “do” to prepare.
In accounting and economics, there is a principle called “diminishing returns”. That’s when continuing efforts and resources produce a marginal result. For example, I could spend two hours in the kitchen to make a complicated recipe with many ingredients and dishes to wash, but is it really going to be any better than a simpler, faster recipe? The fare might be ten or twenty percent better, but how much added value does that extra time create? Most of the time, simple is best!
You also know by now that I love a reliable recipe that’s tried and true. And it’s even better when that recipe is handwritten by a friend. A couple of weeks ago, Donna Yonce of Fossil not only hand wrote one of her favorite recipes for me, she hand delivered it too (the recipe was given to her by Bev Mabe Osborn). I was quite moved by her kind gesture. I tell ya’ – it’s true. The little things in life are not little at all. They can have enormous impact. Especially generous acts.
Don’t let this recipe’s simplicity fool you. While it only takes a few minutes to assemble, the flavors are rich and satisfying. This would be a good recipe to make with young children because it’s so easy.
Creeping Crust Cobbler
½ cup butter, melted in pan
½ cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups fruit
Preheat the oven to 350⁰. You make this recipe in three layers. First: melt the butter in an 8” square pan or one of a similar size. Second: put the fruit in a bowl. I put a spin on the recipe and added two teaspoons of vanilla, a big squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkle of cinnamon onto the fruit. Put the fruit over the melted butter. I used frozen peaches and blackberries. Third: in a bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and pour the batter on top of the fruit (I used half white sugar and half brown sugar).
Top this dessert with cream, whipping cream, or ice cream and you will have a delicious first class dessert. If you use canned fruit, adjust the sugar accordingly. This recipe only took me about seven minutes to assemble. Amazing!