Sour Cherry Cobbler: Ask, and You Shall Receive

I have a neighbor with lovely fruit trees, and this year, her cherry tree has a bumper crop.  I walk by each day on the way to the school (they've been serving a hot lunch for the kids there), hoping to build up the courage to knock on the gal's door and ask if I can pick some.

Today, I got my wish.  I walked by and noticed a woman walking her dog--I asked if she lived in the house, and she said her daughter does.  I complimented the beautiful tree, and guess what?  She said we could pick as many as we'd like, especially since her daughter doesn't really bake.  I didn't even have to ask.

So rather than sweating and wilting in the heat, I sent Ryan over to pick some fruit.  I mean, it's really because he's the one who loves sour cherries, not because I'm lazy or anything.

This photo does not do the cherries justice. They were blood red.

He requested cobbler.  Since I had asked the universe for cherries and I got 'em without much effort at all, it seemed fair that I would make this guy a delicious dessert.  Of course, when I say "I", I actually mean, he pitted the cherries and helped me put this together.

The following recipe is still quite tart--Ryan and I loved it that way because the cherry taste was intoxicating, even if our lips puckered a bit.  And it's also kind of runny, but that could be our fault from not drying the cherries enough after washing them.  Texture aside, this dish was delicious.  The cherriest cherry dessert I've ever eaten.  In fact, if you had asked me yesterday if I liked sour cherries, I would've said no.  But right-off-the-tree...wow.

Whipped cream takes this dessert to another plane of yumminess.

Cherry Cobbler

6 cups pitted tart cherries

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

4 tsp corn starch

Topping:

1 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 T butter

1 egg beaten

3 T milk

Cook the cherries and next three ingredients in a sauce pan until bubbly and thickened a bit.  While that's cooking, mix up the first four ingredients of the topping.  Add in the butter and mix together with your hands (or cut it in).  In a separate bowl, mix the milk and egg together.  Add that to the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Pour the cherries into an 8x8 pan or a round pan close to that size.  Spoon the topping onto the cherries. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

Cool and serve. Try to hold back from going straight to the neighbor's yard again to pick more cherries.