Cobblers crisps & grunts are easier than pie - Recipe

Sunset, July, 2002 by Charity Ferreira

They are far from elegant, with the relaxed aspect of old friends, and names that express what many of us want to do when faced with making a piecrust: Buckle. Slump. Grunt.

* "People want to bake with fruit, but they have the impression that pies and cakes are hard to make--that they have to look good," says Carolyn Well, a San Francisco Bay Area baker, writer, and cooking teacher. "But these desserts are comfortable and approachable. Anyone can make them, and they're at home on the kitchen table."

* Weil's recipes for unfussy summer desserts like easy blackberry cobbler, juicy peach pandowdy, and warm blueberry grunt leave no excuse for not taking advantage of summer fruit at its peak.

Raspberry-Rhubarb Crisp

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 hour

NOTES: Serve this crisp with lightly sweetened softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

MAKES: 6 to 8 servings

  1  cup rolled oats
1/2  cup all-purpose flour
1/2  cup finely chopped walnuts (2 1/2 oz.)
1/2  cup brown sugar
1/2  teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2  teaspoon ground ginger
1/8  teaspoon salt
1/2  cup (1/4 lb.) cold butter, cut into chuns
 12  ounces rhubarb (about 3 stalks)
3/4  cup granulated sugar
  2  tablespoons cornstarch
  4  cups raspberries, rinsed and drained

1. In a large bowl, mix oats, flour, walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. With your fingers or a pastry blender, rub or cut butter into oat mixture until coarse crumbs form. Cover and chill.

2. Rinse rhubarb; trim off and discard green parts of stalks. Cut red parts into 1/2-inch-thick slices; you need 2 cups. In a large bowl, combine granulated sugar, cornstarch, raspberries, and rhubarb and mix gently to coat. Pour into a shallow 2- to 3-quart baking dish and sprinkle evenly with topping.

3. Bake in a 350 [degrees] regular or convection oven until topping is golden brown and fruit is bubbling, about 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Per serving: 398 cal., 41% (162 cal.) from fat; 4.7 g protein; 18 g fat (7.8 g sat.); 58 g carbo (4.6 g fiber); 163 mg sodium; 31 mg chol.

Blackberry Cobbler

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 hour

NOTES: Serve with vanilla ice cream.

MAKES: 6 to 8 servings

1 1/4  cups sugar
    2  tablespoons cornstarch
    2  tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
    6  cups blackberries, rinsed and drained
    1  teaspoon grated lemon peel
    1  tablespoon lemon juice
    2  cups all-purpose flour
    1  tablespoon baking powder
    1  teaspoon salt
  1/2  cup (1/4 lb.) cold butter, cut in chunks
    1  cup whipping cream

1. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, tapioca, blackberries, lemon peel, and lemon juice. Mix gently to coat. Pour into a shallow 3- to 4-quart baking dish.

2. In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. With your fingers or a pastry blender, rub or cut butter into flour mixture until coarse crumbs form. Add cream and stir just until mixture forms a soft, crumbly dough.

3. Pat 1/4-cup portions of dough into flat disks 1/2 inch thick and arrange evenly over fruit.

4. Bake in a 350 [degrees] oven until topping is golden brown and fruit is bubbling, 45 to 55 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Per serving: 498 cal., 38% (189 cal.) from fat; 4.89 protein; 21 g fat (13 g sat.); 74 g carbo (5.8 g fiber); 614 mg sodium; 64 mg chol.

Spiced Peach Pandowdy

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 3/4 hours

NOTES: To peel peaches, cut a 1/2-inch X through peel on the bottom of each. Immerse in boiling water until peels pull off easily, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer peaches to a strainer and rinse under cold running water until cool. Starting at the cut end, slip off and discard peels.

MAKES: About 6 servings

1 1/2  cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2  tablespoons granulated sugar
  1/4  teaspoon salt
    7  tablespoons cold butter
    5  cups sliced peeled firm-ripe
       peaches (about 2 2/3 lb.; see notes)
2 1/2  tablespoons lemon juice
    1  cup brown sugar
    2  tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2  teaspoons ground cinnamon
  1/2  teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and salt. Cut 6 tablespoons butter into chunks and, with your fingers or a pastry blender, rub or cut it into flour mixture until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons water evenly over mixture and stir until dough comes together; if necessary, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons water.

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured sheet of waxed paper and pat into a flat disk. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll into an 11-inch round about 1/4 inch thick. Slide waxed paper onto a 12- by 15-inch baking sheet and chill pastry.

3. In a large bowl, mix peaches, lemon juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a 9-inch pie pan. Cut remaining tablespoon butter into 1/4-inch chunks and distribute evenly over fruit. Remove pastry round from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 5 minutes. Slide off waxed paper and center over filling. With a small, sharp knife, trim dough 1/2 inch beyond pan rim. Tuck edges inside rim.