Late summer is the perfect time for making cobblers. 

My mother would send all the kids out to pick blackberries,pears, peaches, plums, etc and she would whip up a cobbler. If you don’t have access to fresh fruit I have even used fruit cocktail or canned peaches. I grew up on this. It’s an easy recipe to go to any time of year.

My favorite parts are the edges because the butter creeps up the sides when it bakes and makes them chewy and delicious. My kids never even knew there were edges growing up because I would get to it before them and eat it. Luckily, they loved it anyway.  It’s even better warm with some vanilla ice cream or whip cream. My favorite is peach/blueberry.

Fruit Cobbler – some people call this recipe “Cuppa Cuppa” 

  • 1C sugar
  • 1C milk
  • 1C flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder (not baking soda)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Fresh or frozen fruit of your choice
  • 1 stick of butter or margarine

Optional but over-the-top delicious – dry yellow cake mix.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the butter (1/2 or whole stick depending on your preference) into several pieces so it melts evenly. Melt your butter in the pan it will be baked in, use a casserole baking dish.   

While melting the butter, mix the flour, sugar, milk, baking powder, and vanilla in a bowl – this is your batter, set aside. 

Once the butter is melted, pour the batter over the butter. Drop your fruit evenly distributed on top of the batter and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes depending on what size dish you bake it in. When the edges are golden brown and the middle is cooked, remove from the oven. 

If you really want to make it over-the-top delicious, add about half a box of DRY yellow cake mix over the fruit-topped batter and drizzle 1/2 stick of melted butter over the dry cake mix and bake.  

$$ Money saving tips for this recipe $$

  • $$Pick your own fruit. For those of you lucky enough to have neighbors with fruit trees ask if it would be okay if you picked some. I have never had anyone say no to this.  Look for blackberry bushes and pick them for free. In the winter you could easily use canned or frozen fruit.
  • $$If you don’t have baking powder, make your own by mixing baking soda with cream of tartar, mix two parts cream of tartar with one part baking soda. If you are not going to use it all right away, add a pinch of cornstarch to keep it from clumping
  • $$Use powdered milk – I use fresh milk for drinking and powdered milk for baking.  Mix up a cup of powdered milk and you won’t be able to tell the difference in your recipe.  
  • $$Use a half stick of butter. I think a half stick is plenty, but the original recipe from my grandmother used a whole stick. 

About Suzanne Greive

I’ve proudly called Burien home for the past 23 years. I’m a devoted mother to three wonderful children and a loving grandmother to four adorable grandchildren.

Beyond my professional and family roles, my passions include gardening, cooking, baking, homemaking, and, perhaps most importantly, finding clever ways to save money. I’m thrilled for the chance to share my money-saving tips and tricks with you and help make your financial journey a little easier.

We all find ourselves in various life stages, each with its unique challenges. During my early years as a mother, managing a tight budget, I relied on the wisdom passed down by my mother and grandmother. I gathered fresh fruits and vegetables during their peak season and preserved them for times when they were not readily available. This approach allowed me to secure lower prices while produce was abundant.

As my children grew older, their tastes evolved, and they desired convenience foods like crackers, cereals, and snacks that I couldn’t make from scratch. In response, I delved into the world of couponing and rebating, a practice I maintained for several years until grocery stores began scaling back their coupon and double coupon offerings.

Transitioning into the empty nest phase, my cooking and baking needs dwindled to serving just two people. During this time, I stopped seeking out deals or preserving produce. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a surge in grocery prices. Consequently, I’ve returned to my past strategies of gleaning and crafting homemade items to counter rising costs and reduce our grocery expenses. It’s comforting to know that the skills I honed in earlier years are once again proving invaluable.  I’m happy to share the wisdom that has been passed on to me.