A Recipe from ‘Round the Clock Recipes from Mary Alden (1963)

About the Recipe

Some days, you wake up and say – “I want to bake something today.” And you ask your husband what you should bake. And he says, “I don’t know, some fruity, crumbly, cobbler-y thing?” So obviously, you go to your shelf and start thumbing through a Quaker Oats advertising cookbook – obviously! And you end up with this super easy, delicious cherry crisp.

This was so easy to make, but I do have a few thoughts:

• I would easily double the cherries that this recipe calls for. I used frozen cherries and let them thaw in the morning before I baked.
• I used regular old rolled oats (Quaker brand, of course). I think quick oats actually would work better for this one. The oats came out just a little more crunchy than I would have liked.
• The almond is a great touch. Almond and cherry go really well together. If almond isn’t your thing, it would work just as well with vanilla or even orange extract.
• The vanilla ice cream was an absolute must. It cut through the tartness of the cherries and was just perfect, especially when it was hot out of the oven.

But that’s it! This is an easy one to pull out when you need a quick dessert or are just jonesing for something sweet. Enjoy!

About the book

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I love these advertising cookbooks. The title pages and illustrations are so delightfully ’60’s. The font reminds me of the original Parent Trap, the one with Hayley Mills. Enjoy the art (and a few bonus recipes)!

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

3 cups red pitted tart cherries, drained
1/2 t almond extract (optional)
1/3 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup Quaker or Mother’s Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1/2 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1/3 cup melted butter or margarine

Directions:

Combine cherries and almond extract; place in greased 8-inch square baking pan. Combine dry ingredients; add melted butter, mixing until crumbly. Sprinkle crumb mixture over cherries.

Bake in preheated moderate oven (375*F) 20-25 minutes. Serve warm or cold with cream or ice cream. Makes 6 servings