Bing Cherry Buckle

The Setting: A February Saturday night.

The Soundtrack: The Outlaw Josey Wales.

Steaming up the Oven: Bing Cherry Buckle.

The Scenario: Sometimes a cold winter night demands something sweet, warm, and comforting. Tonight I'm lucky to have three such things: Oia, Hoosband, and one of the easiest desserts you'll ever make.

I've written before about buckles (Peach Cobbuckle, Aug. 16, 2011), and if you happened to read that post before today, I sincerely apologize, as I just discovered a major omission (cake should contain some sugar, don't you think?). It's all fixed now though, so please pursue that recipe (and this one) with confidence.

One of my all-time favorite desserts, buckles are what I grew up calling cobblers and what some people call dump cakes (although that name tends to refer more specifically to the ones made with cake mix and canned fruit because all the ingredients are literally dumped right into the pan), but the main thing you'll be calling it is good.

The purple-red cherries make this a beautiful dessert to conclude a Valentine's Day dinner, and the ease with which it can be thrown together will leave you plenty of time for primping and perfecting your romantic rendezvous.

Bing Cherry Buckle
1 lb frozen, pitted Bing cherries
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
dash ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp pure almond extract
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp plus a pinch kosher salt, divided
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk (skim is fine)

In a medium-sized bowl toss together frozen cherries, 2/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, both extracts, and a pinch salt. Stir thoroughly to distribute ingredients and wet the sugar as much as possible. Cover with plastic wrap and let thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes (the cherries will still be mostly frozen).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place butter in a 9"x13" baking pan and set the pan in the oven until the butter is melted (about 5 minutes).

In another bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt and remaining 2/3 cup sugar. Add milk, stirring just enough to wet all the dry ingredients.

Pour flour mixture over melted butter without mixing. Give cherry mixture a final stir and distribute evenly over flour mixture without mixing (the batter will rise up to the top as it bakes). Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or till light golden, bubbly, and not too jiggly in the center (will take a little longer in a glass or Pyrex pan than in a metal pan). Serve immediately with Chantilly Cream or your favorite vanilla ice cream.

Thanks for reading! Here's to Being the Secret Ingredient in your life.