Introduction
There is nothing like homemade cupcakes, cobblers, custards, puddings, etc. It may seem to take so much longer than buying quick, ready-made, but it is well worth the extra wait, and these are really not difficult to make. The only difficult part is really waiting for your baking to cool, set, bake or chill in the refrigerator before you dig in and enjoy your masterpiece, which can range from plain to fancy, and basic ingredients to gloriously rich and gooey.
Years ago, I remember asking a lady that I admired as a terrific cook and baker, just what was the difference between all of these desserts, namely ones such as cobblers, crisps, crumbles, brown betties, crunches, etc. I was very familiar with puddings and custards and, of course, cupcakes, but the others I found confusing. She explained to me that most of these desserts consisted of fruit topped with a biscuit type of dough, which I had made many times and knew consisted mainly of flour, sugar and butter or margarine.
She went on to explain that when making a cobbler recipe the fruit filling is hidden under a biscuit topping, which is dropped by spoonfuls on top of the fruit and has a sugared top. It makes a lumpy surface, similar to a street paved with round stones, and was therefore called a "cobbler," like the old cobblestone streets. A crisp has a fruit filling topped with a crunchy mixture of butter, flour, sugar, spices, nuts and sometimes oatmeal. Brown betties, and it can be other fruit besides apples, have the fruit layered with buttery bread crumbs. Crumbles are similar to crisps and have the same type of topping, without oatmeal.
Rice puddings, made with rice, eggs, cream and sometimes raisins, and bread puddings, consisting of cubes, chunks or slices of day-old breads (French or egg bread are also delicious), have been around for a long time and are still favorites, as are steamed puddings, which have traditionally been a part of Christmas dinners for many years. Custards are mainly beaten eggs mixed with milk or cream, sugar and some type of flavoring and are either cooked on the stove top or baked in the oven. Crème brûlée is usually a custard, or can be a pudding, topped with a generous amount of sugar and broiled to make a crisp, browned top crust.
All of these recipes can be made into many different assorted desserts. One of my favorites has always been trifle, and most are quick and simple to make. Some of the funny or odd names go back to early American cooking, with an English influence, and have resulted in names like grunts, slumps, buckles, pandowdies, bubbles, squeaks, and so on. I have always concentrated on the more familiar ones, as you will find in this book.
Whether you are a novice or a long-time baker, and even though you may be more familiar with baking cakes, pies and muffins, once you start experimenting with other baking recipes, such as the ones in this book, and see how easy and delicious they are, I hope you will be inspired to try many more.
Happy Baking!
-- Esther
