A fruit cobbler for busy times

Sometimes life gets in the way. There is nothing more I’d rather be doing than waltzing around my kitchen of a Saturday evening with a glass of wine in one hand and a wooden spoon (for use as a microphone) in the other, pretending I can sing and not minding one jot that I can’t. However…

With the world and its tides pulling me hither and thither and with the weight of responsibility demanding that wooden microphones must be cast aside for other, more mundane chores, Saturday evenings on the tiles are becoming ever more infrequent.

That which is becoming even more infrequent is a home-made dessert.

After you go to all the bother of preparing a Sunday lunch, a dessert can suddenly become a bridge too far.

“Sure, there’s ice-cream in the freezer,” I say, hoping that there is, but not knowing for sure.

“And there might be a tin of strawberries in the cupboard. Knock yourselves out.”

And yet, when there is even a smidgen of spare time, there is hardly anything more satisfying than a home-made dessert – Victoria sponges, chocolate cakes and, if I’m lucky, chocolate brownies.

Neither is it unheard of for me to suggest ordering a chipper for Sunday lunch and with the free time that provides, I can then make a Black Forest Gateaux.

For some reason, this suggestion falls more than it flies. Sometimes life – and opinions – get in the way.

As I am always on the lookout for quick and easy desserts, you might imagine my excitement when I cottoned on to fruit cobblers.

A close relation of fruit crumbles but with arguably less effort, fruit cobblers are also close to what we would locally know as an apple sponge. Fruit and batter, fire it in the oven, job done.

I’m not sure if this is the easiest dessert in the world, but notwithstanding ice-cream from the freezer and a tin of strawberries, it’s certainly up there.

It really is a simple as “fruit and batter, fire it in the own, job done.” But we’ll get to that later.

Personally, I like my mixed fruit cobbler with just whipped cream.

But opinions at home seem to suggest that custard is preferable.

“Devon knows how they make it so creamy,” I say. “’Cause there’s no way I’m gonna start making custard from scratch. At least not until I retire.”

“You know you can order custard online now?” someone once informed me.

“Aye, sure add in some caviar and gold leaf to the order there. I’ll be JR and you can be Sue-Ellen.”

This recipe is really simple but really tasty. Six ingredients and apart from a bit of mixing at the start, the oven does all the heavy lifting.

Also, whilst I never use the American ‘cup’ system of measurements, this is the exception to the rule.

INGREDIENTS

l 1 cup of self-raising flour

l 1 cup of golden caster sugar

l 1 cup of full-fat milk

l 1 tsp of vanilla extract

l Heaped tbsp of butter

l Icing sugar (optional)

l 500g of mixed frozen berries (I like the cherry, strawberry, blueberry mix)

THE PLAN

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, milk and vanilla and mix into a batter. If it’s too thick, give it another dash of milk and mix again.

Melt the butter in the micro and then add this to a baking dish, swirling it around so that it covers the whole bottom.

Unceremoniously dump the batter into the dish, right on top of the butter and then right on top of the batter, dump on the berries straight from the freezer.

Retire to a pre-heated oven at 180C for at least 45 minutes and that’s it.

Dust with the icing sugar (if you can be bothered) and then all you have to do is decide whether to have whipped cream or custard – or both.

NOTE:

I have latterly discovered that for an added smidgen of decadence, you can grate some chocolate over the top of the plated portions. If you can be bothered, that is.

JR wouldn’t be in it.