Tuesday, April 28, 2015

FRENCH CHERRY DESSERT

Friend Janice and I went to an estate sale Friday that could have been called "Cookbook Heaven". We couldn't believe how many cookbooks this lady had. 99.9% of them were "light" cooking. (It appeared that someone in the household was diabetic.) The crazy thing was almost all of them were in "mint" condition. The sale was advertised as "Downsizing" so we assumed she was still living. I wanted to buy one - they were all $3 each - but it was really, really hard to pick one. 

I finally decided to buy one entitled Yankee Magazine's Church Suppers & Potluck Dinners Cookbook edited by Andrea Chesman & the Editors of Yankee Magazine. I loved the scene on the book jacket. A white church backed by full green trees with a table overflowing with different dishes you might find at a church potluck. I told Janice that a pretty cover would get me anytime. (What was even crazier was at the next sale we went to I saw a Yankee Magazine. I couldn't believe it. I'm not familiar with the magazine - remember I bought the book for the Americana looking painting on the book jacket) and to actually see one. I just couldn't believe it.

While I had dinner in the oven Friday night, I decided to look through the cookbooks I ended up bringing home. (The last house we went to had about 5 or 6 smaller cookbooks on a table with a piece of paper on the stack that said, "Free Cookbooks". FREE COOKBOOKS! I couldn't believe it. After going to several sales in which the cookbooks were all being sold for $3 a piece, I was astounded. I chose 4 of them.

After going through the four free ones (I did find several recipes I am anxious to try.), I picked up the cookbook from Yankee Magazine. You probably know what happened. I found a really quick and easy recipe that I decided to make as soon as we finished eating to have later for dessert.

The footnote in the book says. "Simple to make, and very good. For a large crowd, triple the recipe and bake in a 9 x 13 - inch pan." They were so right....it was simple to make and very good. I almost forgot to give credit to the contributor.. "Adapted from a recipe submitted by Ruth Clark St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Oxford, Connecticut." I noted my personal notes in parentheses. 



FRENCH CHERRY DESSERT

1/2      cup sugar (I used 1/4 cup truvia baking blend)
2         tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/2      cup milk (I did use skim milk)
3/4     cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2   teaspoons baking powder
1         can (15 - 16 oz) pitted sweet or sour cherries, drained (reserve the liquid) ( I used a 15 - oz can of Red Tart Pitted Cherries in water)
1         tablespoon sugar if using sour cherries (I used 1/2 tablespoon of the blend)
Whipped cream or confectioners' sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease (or spray) a 1 - quart baking dish.

Drain the can of cherries, saving the liquid.

Combine the first 5 ingredients (sugar, butter, milk, flour, and baking powder) in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Pour into the baking dish.

Spoon the cherries on top.
Combine the reserved cherry liquid and 1 tablespoon sugar and boil to reduce the volume by half.
Pour over the cherries.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. (I did bake mine 30 minutes.)

Can serve with whipped cream or a dusting of confectioners' sugar, if desired. 

(I did sift a little powdered sugar over the serving as you can see.)

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