Rustic Fruit Desserts: Crumbles, Buckles, Cobblers, Pandowdies, and More

An early fall cobbler with blackberries bubbling in their juice beneath a golden cream biscuit. A crunchy oatmeal crisp made with mid-summer’s nectarines and raspberries. Or a comforting pear bread pudding to soften a harsh winter’s day. Simple, scrumptious, cherished–these heritage desserts featuring local fruit are thankfully experiencing a long-due revival.

In Rustic Fruit Desserts, each season’s bounty inspires unique ways to showcase the distinct flavor combinations that appear fleetingly. James Beard Award—winning chef Cory Schreiber teams up with Julie Richardson, owner of Portland’s Baker & Spice, to showcase the freshest fruit available amidst a repertoire of satisfying old-timey fruit desserts, including crumbles, crisps, buckles, and pies.

Whether you’re searching for the perfect ending to a sit-down dinner party or a delicious sweet to wrap up any night of the week, these broadly appealing and easy-to-prepare classics will become family favorites.

Cory Schreiber is the founder of Wildwood Restaurant and winner of the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Pacific Northwest. Schreiber now works with the Oregon Department of Agriculture as the Farm-to-School Food Coordinator and writes, consults, and teaches cooking classes in Portland, Oregon.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Julie Richardson grew up enjoying the flavors that defined the changing seasons of her Vermont childhood. Her lively small-batch bakery, Baker & Spice, evolved from her involvement in the Portland and Hillsdale farmers’ markets. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

"A collection of simple and satisfying recipes for crisps, slumps, buckles, grunts, and other old-timey desserts by a beloved Portland bakery owner in collaboration with one of the region's top chefs"--Provided by publisher.

Acknowledgments - x

Introduction - 1

Spring

Apple and Rhubarb Pandowdy 16

Rhubarb Fool - 18

Rhubarb Compote Two Ways - 21

Rhubarb and Bing Cherry Brown Betty - 22

Sour Cherry Cobbler - 23

Rhubarb Cream Cheese Pie with Fresh Strawberries - 26

Rhubarb Buckle with Ginger Crumb - 27

Fresh Strawberry and Ricotta Tart - 28

Rhubarb, Oat, and Pecan Crumble - 30

Boozy Dried Cherry, Chocolate, and Hazelnut Bread Pudding - 31

Upside-Down Sweet Cherry Cake - 32

Lemon Buttermilk Rhubarb Bundt Cake - 36

Cherry Almond Bars - 37

Strawberry Shortcake - 38

Summer

Raspberry Red Currant Cobbler - 46

Double-Crusted Pluot Crisp - 49

Raspberry Cream Brown Betty - 50

Stone Fruit Tea Cake - 52

Apricot Raspberry Cobbler - 53

Nectarine, Boysenberry, and Almond Crisp - 55

Lemon Blueberry Buckle - 58

Vanilla-Spiked Plum Galette - 61

Marionberry Pie - 62

Blueberry Cobbler with Cornmeal Biscuit - 63

Gingered Peach and Blackberry Pandowdy - 64

Stone Fruit Slump - 66

Raspberry Fool - 69

Caramel Peach Grunt - 70

Stone Fruit Upside-Down Cornmeal Cake - 72

Summer Fruit Trifle - 74

Tayberry Oat Buckle - 77

Fall

Apple Blackberry Pie - 84

Maple Apple Dumpling - 86

Gingered Pear and Raspberry Pandowdy - 88

Grape Galette - 91

Apple and Black Currant Brown Betty - 92

Huckleberry Buckle with Vanilla Drizzle - 93

Quince and Apple Brown Butter Tart - 94

Fig and Mixed-Color Raspberry Crumble - 96

Pumpkin Custard with Cookie Crumb Crust - 98

Pear Cobbler with Shingled Hazelnut Biscuits - 100

Upside-Down Pear Chocolate Cake - 102

Caramel Apple Steamed Pudding with Ginger - 105

Fig and Honey Cream Galette - 107

Winter

Pear Sauce - 115

Pear Sauce Bundt Cake with Pear Brandy Butter Glaze - 116

Cranberry Buckle with Vanilla Crumb - 118

Cranberry Upside-Down Almond Cake - 120

Apple Cranberry Oat Crumble - 122

Apple Custard Pie with Orange - 123

Mimi’s German Apple Cake - 124

Apple Cobbler with Cheddar Cheese Biscuit - 126

Deep-Dish Winter Fruit Pie with Walnut Crumb - 128

Stewed Fruit and Chantilly Cream with Vanilla Bean Shortbread - 131

Olive Oil Citrus Cake - 132

Lemon Sponge Tart - 135

Caramelized Pear Bread Pudding - 136

Apple Crisp with Brandy-Soaked Currants - 138

Apple Pandowdy - 140

Grandma Freeman’s Jam Cake with Brown Sugar Rum Glaze - 142

Pantry

Chantilly Cream - 145

Crme Frache - 146

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream - 146

Berry Ice Cream - 147

Basic Jam - 148

Vanilla Sauce - 149

Vanilla Crumb - 149

All-Butter Pie Pastry - 151

Short Dough - 152

Galette Dough - 153

Vanilla Bean Shortbread - 155

Vanilla Chiffon Cake - 156

Sources - 158

Index - 159