"Tip Tuesday" & A "Cherry Cobbler" & A "Cherry Cobbler Cocktail" For "National Cherry Cobbler Day"

Welcome to this weeks blog post…..Today is a day to celebrate as May 17th is “National Cherry Cobbler Day.” Cherry Cobbler is a delicious dessert that is a favorite for young and old alike. Originated in the United States, mid 19th century, a cobbler refers to a variety of dishes that consist of a deep dish dessert with fruit filling (cherry being a popular choice) covered with a biscuit-like batter, that is then baked. Some cobblers have both a top and bottom crust. Cobblers originated in the early British American colonies. Did you know…Fruit cobblers can be made with almost any fruit, separately or in combination? The cobbler takes its name from the biscuit dough crust on top, it is rough looking or “cobbled.” It was because of the lack of suitable ingredients and the proper cooking equipment that the English settlers were unable to make their traditional suet puddings, so to improvise, they covered a stewed filling with a layer of uncooked biscuits or dumplings. A cherry cobbler differs from a cherry crisp as the “crisp” usually has oatmeal in it. Sometimes the cobbler is topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream! Yummy!

Cobblers are also a fantastic way to celebrate the fresh bounty of the season, and as it happens, the first fresh cherries of the year have begun to pop up at grocery stores and farm stands across the country. Cobblers don't take a whole lot of pastry know-how, but this little tip may help you: no matter what recipe you use, taste the fruit before you add any additional sweeteners. Batches of any fruit, especially cherries, can vary wildly in flavor, so you'll want to consider their place on the sweet-tart range before you add too much sugar. 

                               
Today also happens to be, the feast day of “San Pascual.” He was a 16th century Spanish shepherd who became a Franciscan lay brother. He served his fellow Franciscans in various capacities and monasteries as shepherd, gardener, porter, and cook. Since childhood he had built-up a deep sense of the presence of God and was particularly devoted to the Eucharist. San Pascual was known for his administrations to the poor and for his many miraculous cures.

San Pascual

Today, San Pascual is chiefly known as a patron of the kitchen in token of his work as a cook. In religious art he is shown dressed in the brown robes of a Franciscan, kneeling in a kitchen while in engrossed in meditation of the Eucharistic. In New Mexico his image has become an ubiquitous element of “Santa Fe-inspired” décor. San Pascual is patron of shepherds, cooks, and Eucharistic Congresses or associations. 
                                   

 

My recipe this week is from a cookbook I found at a yard sale many years ago. “Betty Crockers Bisquick™ Cookbook” This cobbler is on page 23 in this cookbook. I have the pleasure to participate in my food blogger friend Louise‘s, “Months Of Edible Celebrations.” She is posting to her blog recipes that are taken from cookbooks, magazines, booklets, etc. on Wednesday, as “Cookbook Wednesdays.” So stop over at her blog and tell her that I sent you, she may have a cup of coffee for you...This “Cherry Cobbler” is so yummy that your family will love every morsel. So flavorful and easy to prepare. I also have a drink called a “Cherry Cobbler Cocktail” that will make your taste buds dance…So enjoy “National Cherry Cobbler Day!” (Look for “Tips” under the recipes…)

It’s even easier than pie! Bake tempting cobbler the easy way with cherry pie filling. It’s perfectly baked under a tender, flaky crust. So good!!

“Cherry Cobbler” Serves: 6

Ingredients:
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
1 cup Original Bisquick mix
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:
Spread pie filling in un-greased 1 1/2 quart casserole. Place in cold oven. Heat oven to 400ºF; let heat 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven. While pie filling is heating, stir remaining ingredients until soft dough forms. Drop by 6 spoonfuls onto warm pie filling. Sprinkle with additional sugar if desired. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until topping is light brown. 

******Expert Bonus:
This recipe is so easy and delicious. Also much lighter cobbler than traditional recipes. Cherry is a favorite but works with any flavor pie filling. So good with ice cream or whipped topping. You can add Chocolate Chips and an extra drizzle of chocolate. Add and melt 1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips, drizzle on top of cobbler. Because ovens generally take ten minutes to preheat, heating the filling and the oven at the same time is a convenient dovetailing method. Also, if cobbler fillings aren’t heated before the dough is added, the dough may still have many uncooked spots after baking.
                            

A “Cobbler” is also a cocktail drink, which probably predates the fruit cobbler pie. The “Cobbler Cocktail” usually consisted of whiskey or rum with fruit juice and/or sugar, garnished with mint and/or citrus.

“Cherry Cobbler Cocktail”

Ingredients:
8 oz London Dry Gin
6 oz Cherry Brandy
3 oz sugar syrup
3 oz lemon juice
4 tsp Cream de Cassiss

Pour into a cocktail glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a slice of lemon, a cherry or a mint sprig. Serve with a short straw.

                            Please drink responsibly! 

                                    

“Tips”………..

How To Store Cherries:
Cold storage is key to keeping cherries fresh. According to a cherry expert we spoke to, cherries can lose more quality in one hour at room temperature than a day in the refrigerator. Thus, get your cherries in the fridge as soon as possible, preferably wrapped in a plastic bag. Wash them with cold water just before eating. Avoid washing prior to storage, as moisture can be absorbed where the stem meets the fruit and lead to splits or spoilage. Cherries can also be frozen. Pit them if you wish, or keep them whole with stems intact. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet, freeze until firm, and then place in a bag or container.

How To Choose:
Of course, the best way to know whether cherries are worth buying is to taste one, if your farmers' market vendor or grocery store provides samples. But here are some other rules of thumb:
Sweet red cherries: Depth of color is more important than the particular shade of red. Look for fruits with deep, dark saturation. If the stem is intact, a bright green color indicates freshness; however, a lack of stem doesn't necessary mean the cherries are low quality. Red cherries should also be firm. Wrinkling along the shoulders near the stem means the cherries have sat at room temperature; they may still be sweet, but are probably not at peak freshness.
Rainier cherries: Many people think these reddish-yellow cherries are under ripe, but this is the natural color of Rainier cherries. They are also naturally less firm than red cherries. A red or pink blush indicates sun exposure, which leads to sugar accumulation. Brown flecks are generally not defects but a further indicator of sugar accumulation. (Red cherries have this, too, but it's less visible.)

How Cherries Help Fight Arthritis:
Generations of people have reported that cherries help keep painful osteoarthritis (OA) and gout flares in check. Now, scientists are putting this popular folk remedy to the test, with promising results. Researchers have tested different amounts of several varieties of cherries in almost every form, from juice to pills. And though most studies are small and the findings preliminary, evidence of the benefits of cherries is growing.

Gout Management:
In a study of 633 participants, Boston University Medical Center researchers found that eating at least 10 cherries a day protected people with existing gout from recurrent attacks. The findings were published in 2012, in a supplement to the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. “Cherry intake was associated with a 50 percent lower risk of gout flares over a 48-hour period,” says study co-author Hyon K. Choi, MD. “We extrapolate that cherries will continue to work long-term.” He attributes the positive effects to anthocyanins, plant pigments that have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Anthocyanins are found in red and purple fruits, including raspberries and blueberries, but cherries, especially tart cherries, contain higher levels.

Liquid cherry extract: 
Found in health-food and specialty stores, this product appears to provide the same benefits. In a retrospective study of 24 patients presented at the 2010 annual meeting of the European League Against Rheumatism, saw a 50 percent reduction in flares when gout patients took one tablespoon of tart cherry extract, the equivalent of 45 to 60 cherries, twice a day for four months. “This is definitely a topic worth further investigation,” Dr. Choi says. “If cherries prove effective in large trials, they could provide a safe, non pharmacological option for preventing recurrent gout attacks.”

Before the introduction of refrigerated transportation, only locally grown produce was available to most Americans. This was reflected in their choice of desserts. Cherry cobblers were a Midwestern favorite, apple and blueberry cobblers were enjoyed in the North, and peaches graced cobblers of the South.

Till Next Time……………………..

Copyright © 2016 “Family Plus Food Equals Love” All Rights Reserved