Little m Long a

My complete mangling of the English language is no more apparent than when I wish to put into words sincere emotions.  Emotions of love, remembrance, gratitude.  I’ve been trying for almost a week now, starting and stopping, deleting.  A lot of deleting.  For some reason I didn’t want this one to pass, though.  Bear with me.  This past Monday, the 21st, my Grandmother would have been…..well, really old.  She passed many years ago.  I no longer celebrate the day save to note that it would have been Mammaw’s birthday.  I think of her often but something caused quite the pause just yesterday.

Our fruit trees are blooming and that means in just a few short months–Mammaw’s Lazy Cobbler!  That’s right.  My grandmother made some of the best fruit cobbler I have ever tasted, or will ever taste for that matter.  I suppose a lot of it has to do with the fact that she didn’t have to work at making food taste good.  She enjoyed cooking and did it well.  My poor Mom, on the other hand, was not quite as talented in the culinary arts.  She did not inherit Mammaw’s touch.  If my grandmother was Midas in the kitchen my mother would have been…..not Midas.  She could burn water trying to boil an egg.  But I digress.

So back to the Lazy Cobbler.  A quick internet search will provide hundreds of variations on the theme but I think my Mammaw’s was not only classic but truly lazy.  And it tasted great.  Ready?

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 stick butter (melted or very soft)
1 tsp baking powder
Fresh Fruit peeled and sliced (peaches, pears, apples, cherries–your choice)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
(When using the fresh fruit) In a sauce pan mix the fruit with some sugar (eyeball it) and some water (about 1/2 cup) and cook until soft.  Place fruit in a baking pan—drain excess juice if needed you don’t want it too runny.  (I use a 9×13 Pyrex dish–use what you’ve got).
In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, milk, butter and baking powder.
Pour batter over fruit in pan.
Bake about 35-45 minutes or until golden brown.

This cobbler is great hot, cold, with whipped cream, ice cream or on it’s own.  I know that whenever I make it the counter life is pretty short.  I can not think of a more fitting way to remember my grandmother.  The spring time blooms nearly coinciding with her birthday are pretty cool!

*Disclaimer:  I can cook–very well–I just can’t tell anyone else how to do it much less write down a recipe correctly.  Before trying this or any other food preparation I may suggest to you it would be wise to reference an expert!*