TWD - Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, 

patience, kindness, goodness, 

faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

Against such things there is no law." 

Galatians 5:22-23

I was pretty excited to see that for Tuesdays with Dorie we were going to make something with cherries and rhubarb, two of my favorite fruits. But I wasn't too sure about all the whole wheat flour and brown sugar. So in the end I decided that I would adjust the recipe. Of course the first thing to do was to pit and split the cherries, and then to cut up the rhubarb. It was such a luscious looking pile of fruit that all kinds of thoughts went through my head as to what I could do with it. My first thought was that maybe I could make a cloufouti. And then I had serious thoughts of making a custardy cherry and rhubarb pie. My family thought that was a great idea. But I was feeling bad about not making my Dorie recipe. So the next idea was to make the cobbler with a custardy filling. But in the end I decided that I would be as true to the recipe as seemed fitting for my tastes.

Molly's Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler à la Dorie

1 pound dark sweet cherries, pitted and halved
12 ounces rhubarb, diced fairly small

1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ginger
1 1/2 tablespoon cornflour

Topping:
1 cup all-purpose white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 stick of butter, finely diced
2/3 cup milk, any kind you like

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Select the baking dish you want. In area an 8 inch square dish equals a 9 inch round dish.
Put the fruit into the dish.
Combine the 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon ginger, and 1 1/2 tablespoons cornflour.
Spread over the fruit and stir in gently.
Put the fruit into the oven to start cooking while you make the topping.

In a fairly large sturdy bowl combine the toppings dry ingredients.
Cut in the diced butter to a rough cornmeal consistency.
Using a fork, stir in the milk.
Get the fruit out of the oven and using two soupspoons put dollops of the topping all over the fruit.
Bake for about 35-40 minutes.
Cool a bit and enjoy!


Evaluation: Although admittedly I tweaked the recipe, I thought it was a wonderful dessert, and I'll certainly make it again if I don't decided to make something different in the end, like a pie or something. I'm glad I cut back on the whole wheat. No need to get all sensible when cooking with cherries and rhubarb. And I liked not having the topping be too stiff.  I could see adding vanilla ice cream or whipped cream or pouring custard to this dessert.

So I have to add a little story about something that happened today.  My mother called up and said that she and Dad wanted to stop by to visit.  Now that sounds normal enough, but my mother never does that.  I said sure, come on over.  But as soon as I got off the phone I ran down stairs to tell everyone that Gramma was coming over, and could they help straighten things up.  They were great about it, and even Emily (22 months old) helped by picking up two decks of cards that she had strewn all over the place.  When they arrived my Mom handed me a present, calling it a belated Christmas present.  She should have said birthday present, because she always forgets my birthday.  But anyway.  I opened it up and it was a CD by a certain Jazz pianist that I have always admired.  My Mom quickly told me to open it up.  Inside it was signed by the artist, addressed to me, and it said (among other things) "Best wishes (I remember you!)"  It so happens that he and I grew up in the same neighborhood, though I did not know this, and he told my Mom, whom he met just recently, that he had had a bit of a crush on me.  Now to keep this in perspective, it has to have been at least 40 years since he last saw me!  When you get to be my age it's nice to think that someone still nicely remembers you as you once were.

"If we knew what it was we were doing, 

it would not be called research, would it?" 

Albert Einstein