Fruit Cobbler

Toss 4-5 cups of fresh fruit with 1/2 c sugar, 1 Tbsp corn starch and a little grated lemon zest. Use an 8x8" pan or individual dishes and back the fruit at 375° for 25 min. Meanwhile whisk together:

1 1/3 c. flour
1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Cut in 1/4 c cold butter
2/3 c buttermilk

You can use a food processor to add the butter and buttermilk. While the fruit is still bubbling add dough in clumps to fruit. Raise oven to 425° Sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar (2 tsp) and bake for 20 min.

Any Time Fruit Crisp

You can make this with virtually any fresh fruit(s) in season or ones you've frozen at their peak from the garden or farmers market for a nice summer-like dessert in the dead of winter. I like to use berries (with rubarb) but the original recipe calls for plums. Peaches would be fabulous, too. This recipe makes Plenty of topping so I don't use it all and store the extra in the 'fridge 'til I want a quick easy dessert. It's nice to put the fruit in individual bowls and sprinkle with the leftover topping. If you don't have créme de cassis liqueur just add a little water to the fruit or another liqueur. I've taken to always having a little sealed container of the topping ready at a moments notice to sprinkle on some berries from the freezer.

3 pounds Italian prune plums, quartered (or other fruit)
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar (I use way less as I like to taste the fruit, not the sugar)
1/4 cup flour
6 Tbsp créme de cassis liqueur (or maybe Grand Marnier with berries)

For the topping (I use about 1/2 this much):
1/1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 c light brown sugar (lightly packed)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Vanilla Ice Cream

Preheat oven to 375°

For the fruit, in a large bowl, combine plums, brown sugar, flour and liqueur. Pour mixture into 12x8" shallow dish (au gratin) or individual serving oven-proof bowls.

For the topping, combine flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, walnuts and butter in the bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle. Mix on low speed until mixture is crumbly and butter is size of peas. Scatter evenly over fruit. (you can also use a pastry cutter to mix butter into dry ingredients)

Bake for 40-45 minutes (less in small dishes) until bubbly and top is browned. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream. Anything left over is a great breakfast treat, with a little milk or 1/2 & 1/2.

Credit to Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics