It's all about the Buckle

While in Michigan a month or so ago, My friends and I popped into a small little diner for some lunch. After an adequate lunch, we peered up on the chalkboard at the special deserts available. Blueberry Buckle stood out like a glorious epiphany....Oh yes, Buckle we all conversed...Yes we must all have the Buckle...its like a Crisp or a Cobbler right? The discussion was frenzied. The waiter came over and we ordered 6 Buckles. The waiter replied...."You do know what a Buckle is don't you?" We all, awkwardly said...."well, yes we think so...but just to make sure....what exactly is a Buckle?" He explained, and although it wasn't quite what we had in mind...after showing us a slice we all decided we would like the Buckle regardless. It was delicious!!! Not only did the taste remain with us, but Buckle talk persisted for days. Even as I returned home, we chatted about the Buckle. Well, the latest is this amazing list of Buckle Like concoctions and their defining characteristics. Never have sweet goodness and poetically whimsical names been consolidated into such a blissful list. Enjoy.

Betty: This dessert, dating from Colonial times, is made of stewed fruit and buttered bread crumbs.

Buckle: Buckles are a cake-like mixture of berries or fruit with a crumble layer on top. Sometimes the berries or fruit are mixed into the cake batter. In other recipes, they form a middle layer between the crumbled topping and the cake.

Clafouti: Cake or pudding tops the fruit.

Cobbler: Fruit is placed in a baking dish and topped wit biscuit dough. The dough may cover the fruit or be dropped in biscuit size dollops.

Crisp: Fruit filling is topped with a crunchy layer crumbled over the top.

Crumble: same as a crisp.

Grunt: Stewed or baked fruit topped with rolled biscuit dough and baked.

Pandowdy: The rolled out dough on top of the fruit becomes crumbly.

Tart: A bottom crust of pastry with short sides topped with fruit.

Thanks to Maya and the Boulder newspaper for the list.