Cobbler

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 stick (4 ounces) butter, melted
• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 to 4 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation:

Heat oven to 375°.

Pour melted butter into a 2-quart baking dish (11×7 or 8-inch square).

In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of the sugar, the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir to blend. Stir in the milk and vanilla until blended. Pour the batter over the melted butter. Toss the peaches with the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Arrange the peach slices over the batter.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. The top will be browned and the cake will begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Serve warm with a little heavy cream, whipped topping, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Orange Pound Cake

• 1 lb butter
• 1 lb powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp grated orange rind
• 6 large eggs
• 3 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp mace
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 cup apricot jam, strained
• 2 Tbsp shredded orange peel

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add sifted sugar and rind. Cream thoroughly. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Sift the flour before measuring; then combine the dry ingredients. Sift.

Gradually add sifted dry ingredients to butter mixture. Add orange juice and combine thoroughly. Turn into buttered and floured 10-inch tube pan.

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and cake is golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes. Turn into wire rack and cool thoroughly. Brush with jam and top with orange peel.

If you try to make a pound cake with margarine or shortening you will end up with a tasteless mess. Butter is the major taste in a pound cake; even if it weren’t, butter and margarine have different properties in baking, and this recipe is adjusted for butter.

Don’t make this cake if you don’t have an electric mixer or strong wrists.  Also, this cake is easier to handle if you have a tube pan that comes apart into two pieces. Time: 30-40 minutes preparation, 1 hour baking.