Adding some cheer to your cherry cobbler

Each year on May 17 we celebrate a traditional fruit pie — the cherry cobbler. The cobbler name comes from the biscuit dough topping that is rough looking, or “cobbled,” and is often topped with vanilla ice cream to complement the warm fruit filling. In North Carolina, National Cherry Cobbler Day coincides with the 100th Anniversary of a bubbly cherry concoction known as Cheerwine. In honor of two Southern traditions, we present to you a recipe from Steven Gordon of the blog Taste of Southern (tasteofsouthern.com) who recommends that Cheerwine Cherry Cobbler be served warm, topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Prep Time: 45 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes Servings: 6 Ingredient: Filling
1 to 2 lb. fresh cherries, pits and stems removed.
2 12 oz. Cheerwine sodas (regular, not diet)
½ teaspoon cocoa
½ teaspoon almond extract Ingredients: Topping
1 cup self-rising flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated gugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 Tbsp cornstarch
½ stick unsalted butter, melted Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place cherries in a colander, rinse under cold running water.
Remove stems and pits. Split the cherries for best results.
Place cherries in a small sauce pot over medium heat.
Add 2 bottles of Cheerwine soda.
Add cocoa and stir well.
Let simmer until syrup has reduced to about one cup liquid.
Remove from heat and stir in almond extract.
Generously butter a two-quart casserole baking dish.
Pour the cooked cherry mixture into the casserole dish.
Place flour and cornstarch in a sifter, sift together into a large mixing bowl.
Add brown sugar.
Add granulated sugar.
Whisk dry ingredients together.
Add one whole egg to center of dry ingredients.
Break egg with a fork and continue to stir until ingredients are mixed well and crumbly.
Use your fingers and break apart any large lumps that may have formed.
Spread the topping evenly over the cherries.
Melt the butter and drizzle over the topping.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until crust tests done with a toothpick.
Remove from oven, place on wire rack to cool.
Serve warm, topped with ice cream or whipped topping if desired, and Enjoy. Note: This recipe will work using either one or two pounds of fresh cherries. No adjustments are needed otherwise. It just depends on how much fruit you prefer in your cobbler.