Fresh Strawberry Crisp!

It's strawberry season here in Kentucky and you just can't have enough recipes to use them while they are so good and fresh and locally grown.  This recipe is so easy, you won't believe it, but it is absolutely delicious.   A crisp is really just an easy version of a cobbler that 's just a little, well, crispier.  

Here is what you need for this one:

6 cups of fresh strawberries, capped and sliced

1 pkg. yellow cake mix

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup quick cooking oats, not instant

1 cup butter, melted (2 sticks)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Lay the sliced strawberries in an 11"x7" dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.  

In a bowl, mix the cake mix, oats, and sugar.  sprinkle evenly over the strawberries.  Pour the melted butter evenly over the dry mixture. 

Place in the oven and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour.  The top should be browned.

This is best served slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!  



Chocolate Cobbler!

 "Chocolate Cobbler" is probably one of my all time favorite desserts!  If you have ever had it, you know it is totally sinful and delicious, especially for us chocolate lovers.  Cracker Barrel serves this on their dessert menu, but this dessert has been around for many years.  It goes by several different names actually, but I like the name "Chocolate Cobbler"!   This is what you will need for this decadent dessert:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 cup self rising flour

3/4 cups sugar

2 Tbs. cocoa powder

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1  1/2 cups boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Place the stick of butter in an 11"x7" or a 9"x9" baking pan and place in the oven just until melted. 

In a mixing bowl, stir the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 Tbs. cocoa powder, pecans, milk and vanilla together.  Pour over the butter, but do not mix.

In another bowl combine the other 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup cocoa powder.  Sprinkle evenly over the batter in the pan. Do not mix.  

Pour the boiling water evenly over the top.  Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove and cool just slightly.   This is supposed to still be runny underneath the top to some degree.  Don't over bake it!

Serve while warm with ice cream or....

add whip cream and cherry to go all out!!! 





Buttermilk Lemon Cobbler!

When I posted the recipe for Chocolate Cobbler,   I had a reader write and ask me if I had a recipe for "Lemon Cobbler".   She said a local restaurant where she lived served it and it was to die for!   I didn't have a recipe, but it sounded like something wonderful, since I love lemon desserts.  This is what I came up with and it is downright yummy!   It's also easy as can be!  This definitely qualifies as an 'easy peasy' recipe!    Here is what you will need:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 cup self rising flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. lemon flavoring or 1 tsp. lemon zest

1  (21 oz.) can or jar of lemon pie filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Place the stick of butter in an 11"x 7" baking dish or a 2 quart casserole dish works also!   Place in the oven just to melt the butter. 

In a bowl, mix the self rising flour, sugar, buttermilk, vanilla, and lemon flavoring. 

If you do not have self rising flour, you can substitute all purpose flour, plus 1 tsp. baking powder,  and 1/2 tsp. salt. 

Pour the batter evenly over the butter in the baking dish.  DO NOT STIR!

Pour the lemon pie filling evenly over the batter.  DO NOT STIR!

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes to an hour!   It will be slightly brown on top!

This is best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!   







Mama's Old Fashioned Cherry Cobbler!

This is my mother's recipe for "Old Fashioned Cherry Cobbler"!  When I say its' 'old fashioned', it's because it's the way cobblers in the south used to be made all of the time.  You know the type with actually pastry dough and a top and bottom crust  For me the crust is the best part sometimes.  People just don't take the time to make them this way as much anymore.  I think its the pastry crust they don't want to deal with, but with the pastry dough you can buy in the refrigerator section of your supermarket, it's really not that difficult!  

 Here is what you will need:

1 pkg. refrigerated prepared pastry crust (contains 2 pie crusts)

3 cups pitted cherries (frozen or canned)

1  1/2 cups sugar

1 cup water

2 Tbs. cornstarch

1/2 cup water

1 tsp. almond flavoring

3 Tbs. butter, melted

3 Tbs. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the cherries, sugar and water in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil.  Mix the other half cup water with the cornstarch until smooth.  Pour into the cherry mixture and return to boil for just a minute, stirring constantly.  This will start to tighten.  Don't let it tighten too much.  Turn the heat off and add the almond flavoring.

Spray a 2 quart baking dish with nonstick spray.  Line the bottom with one of the crusts.  Pour the cherry mixture in.  It will seem rather liquid, but it needs to be, because the two crusts really soak it up.  You don't want it to be dry. 

Roll the other crust out on a floured surface just a little larger than your baking dish.  You can make a lattice crust like this one by cutting the dough in 1" strips with a pizza cutter or you can lay the crust on top in one piece.  Make sure if you use one piece, seal around the edges, cut the excess of and cut several vents in the top.  The lattice crust works best, because it doesn't boil over as bad.  Brush the top with melted butter and then sprinkle all over with the sugar.  Place on a cookie sheet in case of spill overs and place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and enjoy the compliments!







Apple Pie Burritos!

This is a really easy and fun dessert that tastes delicious!  So it's a win, win, win kind of recipe!  This would be great on Taco Tuesday or to serve as the dessert on a Mexican buffet, but it's just plain good anytime really.  To be honest, I ate one of these the next morning for breakfast and it was yummy! 

This is one the kiddos could actually help make too which is always fun!  Here is what you will need:

6 (8 inch) flour tortillas

1 (21 oz.) can of apple pie filling (you could actually use any type of pie filling you like...cherry, blueberry)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, cut in pats (1/2 stick)

1  1/2 cups Sprite (or any lemon lime soda)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Evenly divide the fruit filling between the flour tortillas and then roll them as you would a burrito.  Place seam side down in an 11"x7" baking dish you sprayed with nonstick spray.  Mix the sugars and cinnamon together and evenly spread over the top.  Dot with the pats of butter.  Pour the soda evenly around the edges of the baking pan.  Sprinkle the top with just bit more cinnamon if you really like the flavor like I did!

Place in a preheated 350 degree oven, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes or until just browned a little. 

Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream!



Cherry Almond Cobbler!

My husband's favorite dessert is cherry anything...cobbler, pie, anything cherry.  When his mother was still with us, she always made him a cherry cobbler for his birthday instead of a birthday cake, by his request.   He just had a birthday, so this "Cherry Almond Cobbler" was his birthday treat!  While I am sure it was not as good as his mother's and we all wish she could still be here to make it for him, he did say it passed the test in yumminess!   This is super easy to make and the hint of almond flavor really goes well with the cherries! 

 Here is what you will need:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1 cup self rising flour

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. almond flavoring

2 (21 oz.) cans cherry pie filling

1 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a 9"x13" baking pan, melt the butter. In a bowl mix the sugar, milk, flour, vanilla and almond flavoring.   Pour that evenly over the butter.  DO NOT STIR or MIX.

Spoon the cherry pie filling evenly over the batter.  DO NOT STIR.  Sprinkle the top with the sliced almonds.  Place in the preheated 350 degree oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until brown. 

Serve slightly warm with ice cream or whipped cream!  It's so yummy!





Rum Raisin Apple Cobbler!

It's apple picking time in southern Kentucky so I am always looking for new and different recipes to use them.   We use apples  quite a bit in southern cooking, both for desserts and as a side item.  This is a little different spin on the apple cobbler and it is so tasty!  The combination of the apples with the raisins, butter and rum is just perfect.  Here is what you will need for this delicious cobbler:

1 cup butter, divided (2 sticks)

1 Tbs. cornstarch

1 cup light brown sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 cup dark rum

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup raisins

pinch of salt

6 large cooking apples (Granny Smith or Rome work well)

1 box yellow or butter cake mix

1/3 cup half and half cream (can use whole milk)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt 1/2 cup (1 stick) of the butter.  Mix in the cornstarch, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, rum, vanilla and raisins.   Peel, core and slice the apples.  Add them to the butter mixture and toss until coated. 

Spray an 11"x 9" baking dish with nonstick spray and pour the apple and raisin mixture in.  Melt the other stick of butter and mix it with the cake mix and the half and half.  Spread evenly over the apple mixture. This mixture will be thick so it's best to drop in on top by the spoonful and then spread it evenly.  Place in the 350 degree oven for 1 hour. 

It should be nice and brown when done!  Remove from oven and allow to cool just slightly!

 Serve while slightly warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!