DESERTS : CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRY COBBLER

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chocolate-covered-strawberry-cobbler

      Here is a desert I found in my Taste of Home magazine. (also available on line). I thought I would give it a try. It combines my favorite things. Strawberries, Chocolate, and Whipped Cream. You might want to have your Cardiologist on stand by, this is one rich desert. If you are not pre diabetic now, you sure as hell will be if you eat too much of this.

Dude, this only takes about fifteen minutes to throw together. Have a beer while it cooks.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, cubed (This works out to 2 sticks. “Hello Paula Dean”)
1-1/2 cups self-rising flour
2-1/4 cups sugar, divided into 1 ¼ and 1 cup
3/4 cup 2% milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup baking cocoa
4 cups fresh strawberries, quartered 





Cut strawberries into quarters. Mine seemed to be a bit on the sour side so I added a good dusting of sugar substitute.

2 cups boiling water
Whipped cream and additional strawberries

Directions

     Preheat oven to 350°. Place butter in a 13x9-in. baking pan. 


     Heat pan in oven 3-5 minutes or until butter is melted. 
 
     Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, 1-1/4 cups sugar, 
milk and vanilla until well blended. In a small bowl, mix cocoa and remaining sugar.


     Remove baking pan from oven and add the batter. Don't freak out at the amount of butter in the pan. Trust me on this. I have to admit that this is where I hit the panic button. WAY TOO much butter. (I thought) And it looked like a gooey mess. Buy Penny cautioned me. “Leave it alone”, she yelled as I started to pour some out.

     Sprinkle with strawberries and cocoa mixture then pour boiling water evenly over top (do not stir). 





 Strawberries added

Cocoa added

Add boiling water. Doesn't that look like a disaster ?? WAIT FOR IT..

Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cake portion comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes. 

THE MIRACLE OF COOKING !!! The dough comes to the top. Look at all the Cocoa!!

     The recipe says to serve warm with whipped cream and additional strawberries. But I made this ahead of time and actually ate it cold, with whipped cream, more strawberries and some Chocolate poured on top. This was freaking orgasmic !!!

         I wonder what this would taste like using cherries instead of strawberries.. Or peaches ??

I'll let you know...