Depression Era Fruit Buckle
This delicious, depression era recipe is a treat no matter what type of fruit you use for your topping. It's easy to make and doesn't require large amounts of any particular ingredient. Tried and true in our family, our favorite toppings are apple or blueberry. Served cold or warmed up with a scoop of ice cream it makes a great dessert or snack.
Equipment
- 3 mixing bowls 1 large, 2 medium
- 1 8x8 pan
- 1 measuring cups and spoons
- 1 Knife
- 1 mixing spoon
- 1 Fork or Pastry Cutter
Ingredients
Batter
- 1/4 cup Shortening
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Fruit Topping
- 4-5 medium Apples- Cored, Peeled and Sliced *Can substitute 2 cups blueberries or 2 cups peaches, pears, etc,
Crumble Topping
- 2 Tbsp Butter *Best to use cold butter
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease 8x8 pan with shortening
Crumble Topping
- Using for or pastry cutter, blend butter, sugar, flour and cinnamon until it makes a crumbly mixture with no large clumps of butter remaining and set aside
Fruit topping
- If using apples, pears or fruit with a peel and core or large seed pit; peel, core and slice. If using blueberries or other fruit that may have been frozen or canned, be sure to strain off any extra liquid, water or juice. Set aside.
Batter
- Blend shortening and sugar with spoon or pastry cutter
- Stir in egg
- Stir in milk and mix thoroughly until no lumps remain
- Add flour, salt and baking powder and mix well
- Pour into greased pan and spread evenly
- Top batter evenly with fruit topping
- Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over the layer of fruit
- Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 40 minutes
Video
Notes
Note: You can make your fruit topping using a variety of fruits. If the fruit has a peel and core or seed pit (like pears or peaches) be sure to peel and core or remove pit then slice like you would for a pie. If using berries, rinse well and drain off excess liquids. You can used canned fruits as well as long as you strain off any liquids or juices to just leave the fruit.
If you aren't familiar with pie making and would like to see the way I slice my apples, we have a video for you to follow along with.