We’ve
discussed the wonderful world of bettys, slumps, grunts, buckles and the like
before, right? (Good thing the results are better than the names!) Some cookbooks have
suggested that a "betty" involves using bread crumbs, so that makes this a betty.
There
are many fresh fruits available now, and more coming. I found a large bag of
sweet ripe cherries and had to have it, but you can use almost any summer fruit for this recipe,
although the softer ones like strawberries and raspberries might turn to mush
too fast. You can also vary the nuts you use, to match your fruit. This is a
flexible recipe that takes advantage of the best your market has to offer this
summer.
Cherry
Betty
Butter
for dish
Crumbs:
5
oz. firm white bread, made into crumbs
(about 2-1/2 cups)
1/3
cup chopped nuts
1/3
cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/3
cup unsalted butter, melted
Fruit:
2
pints cherries (you can use berries as well)
1/4
cup granulated sugar
1/4
cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4
cup cherry preserves
Preheat
the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish.
(Note:
I toasted the crumbs for ten minutes in a slow oven to make them a little
crisper, but it’s not essential.) In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, nuts and
coconut. Add the melted butter and toss with a fork.
Halve
and pit the cherries. In a bowl, combine the berries, sugars, and preserves. If
your fruit is not very juicy, you can add a small amount of water or juice.
Sprinkle
one-half cup of the crumb mixture onto the bottom of the dish. Spoon half of
the fruit mixture on top. Sprinkle with another half-cup of crumbs. Add the
remaining fruit mixture. Top with the remaining crumbs.
Ready for the oven |
Press
the mixture down lightly with the back of a spoon.
Baked |
Cover
the dish loosely with foil. Bake for 35 minutes, then uncover and continue
baking for another ten minutes or until the crumbs on top are golden brown.
Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
And ready to eat, with or without ice cream! |
One last pitch for Razing the Dead (besides, the cover looks nice and summery). If all goes as planned, I've got another (unexpected) book coming in September, and the next Orchard Mystery, Picked to Die, in October, so things are moving fast!
Mmm, cherries. Yum
ReplyDeleteAnd a surprise book? Oh goody!
This looks heavenly. And I can just imagine it warm with vanilla ice cream melting on top...
ReplyDeleteI'm on my way, Sheila. Hope there's some left. I love cherries. And I like the addition of the coconut. Nice little switch!
ReplyDelete~Krista
The cherries were just the right stage of ripeness. And the coconut was a Whole Foods find--nice big shavings, not too sweet. I had to find something to try them in. The coconut and the toasted crumbs gave the whole thing a nice crunch.
DeleteOf course, now I'm seeing all the alternatives, like sliced peaches with almonds. Hmm, maybe I need to go make dessert.
Cherries are great, Sheila, and so in season right now! My mother used to make this the easy way, with a can of cherries, a box of white cake mix, a stick of butter. Almonds sprinkled on the top.Easy peasy.
ReplyDeleteYum! Love fresh.
Daryl / Avery