Strawberry Buckle

In season - Strawberries

Buckle, crumble, cobbler, pie... 

please don't ask me why.

Now you know we aren't too fancy around these parts. Cobblers and pies make up most of our naming when it comes down to these types of desserts but like every family, there is an aunt from up north, beyond the Tennessee line I believe that once called such a dessert by a fancier name, a buckle to be precise.

Now what makes a buckle and exactly what is the difference in the desserts above? To me it's irrelevant. I mean, it really doesn't matter what you call it as long as you call it good, right? But since I brought it up, a buckle to me is baked like a coffee cake with a cake batter on the bottom, a layer of fruit followed with a crumble topping on top. Now a true crumble is where the fruit is in the bottom of the pan and the crumble topping is bake on top, sort of like a crisp, sort of like a betty, sort of. A cobbler to me has a lot more gooeyness going on in the fruit filling, again in the bottom of the pan and a biscuit or pastry topping is used to cover all or partially the filling during the baking process. The topping is unlike that for a clafouti, where the fruit is topped with a cake batter or sometimes a pudding. Of course, a pie is one where the filling is on top of the crust, sometimes in between for confusion, kind of opposite from a pandowdy where the crust is on top. And then there are grunts and slumps that are cooked similar to the pandowdy, similar I say.

Now that I cleared that up, let's get to the good stuff. Fresh strawberries given to us by our neighbor Ginny from the strawberry festival last week. This is just one of the many great things to do with these juicy red jewels this time of year.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Buckle
serves about 6

1 1/4 cups all-purpose
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries or any fresh fruit

topping
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and flour the sides and bottom of an 8-inch square pan.

In a cold bowl, combine sugar, flour and zest. Cut in butter until mixture is of pastry consistency, like coarse crumbs.

In a mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Turn mixer on lowest speed mixing for a few minutes to incorporate ingredients. Add buttermilk, egg and turn mixer on low speed. Add melted butter and lemon juice. Beat for 2 minutes. Spoon mixture into pan.

Place sliced strawberries on top of batter.  Sprinkle with topping and then with the pecans.

Bake in oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set and topping is brown.