Fruit Buckle

Hey, email subscribers! Do you want to see one of my most beloved recipes that somehow I accidentally left out of the “True North Cabin Cookbook?” Here it is. I have no idea how I let it get cut or if I committed it from the original manuscript but as a subscriber you get an exclusive and this fruit buckle recipe is killer with all the fruit this time of year.

On the island, I have a favorite go-to dessert. It is a fruit buckle. I think I make this so much because I always have the main ingredients on hand (eggs, flour, sugar, butter, cinnamon). Being on an island requires strategically planned grocery store trips. There is nothing my husband hates more on a warm July day than driving the boat to accompany his mom or me to the grocery store. I think his complete lack of patience was why I learned how to operate the boat. I wanted to be able to buzz into town whenever the desire to make something delicious struck me. I was a guest on the island for at least 5 years before I learned how to get comfortable enough to drive the boat by myself.

To make this dessert, all you need is to add some fruit. I initially found the Plum Buckle recipe that used plums naturally in the Outdoor Living Cookbook by William Sonoma. I quickly adapted the recipe to reflect the fruits of the season, as the plum season in Minnesota is pretty short. Technically a buckle is a cake with a streusel topping. The batter is thick like cookie dough but a little wetter. Once the dough is mixed, you press it into a square or round cake pan. I like to use a tart pan, so you get the pretty fluted edges. After you pick your pan, you press your fruit into it. I have used peeled apples, unpeeled peaches and nectarines, fresh blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, plums, and even rhubarb stalks cut into ½-inch pieces.

When you need dessert, and you have an hour for cooking and 15 minutes to assemble — this is a winner.

Fruit Buckle

Yield: 12 pieces

This Cake was initially inspired by a Plum Buckle in the Williams Sonoma Cookbook

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups of fruit (pitted cherries, plums, apples, peaches, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries) all work here

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
2. Coat an 8-inch pan with vegetable oil spray or
   butter. I like to use a springform pan, but a square pan will work too.
3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and the 1 cup sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 5 minutes.
5. Add the room temperature eggs 1 at a time, beating well. Add the flour mixture and
   beat on low until well blended
6. Dump the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with your hands or the back of a spoon. The batter is thick
7. Lay the fruit into the batter, placing them close together and poking them down with your finger in the batter until they are about 1/2 submerged
8. Bake until the top is golden and the edges pull away from the pan, and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.
9. Let cool. and serve with whip cream, ice cream, or a sprig of mint.