This recipe is so simple that I may need to set up a “fast comfort food” category! The original recipe was inadvertently updated when I made a mistake and picked up a can of cherry pie filling rather than the can of unsweetened cherries the original recipe called for. The result featured a light sweet cake-like texture with plenty of fruit; Susie and I thought it was just fine so you may use either the pie filling or the original recipe’s can of unsweetened fruit.

A buckle is akin to a cobbler, but the dish gets its name from its tendency to fall on itself while baking; the batter is first added to the baking dish and the fruit spooned on top; as it bakes the batter tries its best to rise to the top and the fruit is doing its thing heading to the bottom so it all “buckles inward”. This old recipe came highly recommended from one of mama’s neighbors because the ingredients are commonly found on a cook’s pantry shelves. You need only keep a can of pie filling, or a can of unsweetened fruit, on hand and you’re good to go when you want something sweet and something fast.  Jazz it up with a tablespoon of heavy cream poured over individual servings.

Cherry Buckle

Ingredients

1 stick butter
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 t. almond extract
3/4 cup milk
1 large can unsweetened cherries or other fruit, drained, juice reserved
1/4 cup additional sugar, to taste
1-1/2 T. half-n-half or heavy cream, optional

Directions Preheat oven to 375. Melt butter in a 2-qt baking dish or 8×8″ pan. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder, stir with a fork to sift. Combine the almond extract with the milk; add to dry ingredients; whisk, blending well. Batter will be thin. Pour batter into your baking dish then top with canned cherries. Swirl the cherries lightly into the batter, add the reserved juice, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 35-40 minutes. Cool slightly then pour a little heavy cream on top before serving.