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Peach Country Cobbler

Source of Recipe

From "A Love Affair with Southern Cooking" by Jean Anderson


Recipe Introduction

"From early July through mid September, farmer's markets and side-of-the-road stands offer tree-ripened peaches by the bushel. It's a precious time for Southern cooks, a time of cobblers and crisps, pickles and pies, jams and preserves. If Southerners have a favorite peach, it's probably a toss-up between the white-fleshed Georgia Belle, the hardy golden Sunhigh, and the Elberta, a free-stone, honeysuckle-sweet hybrid developed in Macon County, Georgia, in 1875."

List of Ingredients

Peach mixture:
â—¦ ¾ cup sugar
â—¦ 2 tablespoons cornstarch
â—¦ 6 cups sliced, peeled, and pitted firm-ripe peaches (3 ¾ to 4 pounds)
â—¦ 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
â—¦ 1 tablespoon butter

Topping:
â—¦ 1 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
â—¦ 2 tablespoons sugar
â—¦ 2 tablespoons baking powder
â—¦ 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
â—¦ ½ teaspoon salt
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
â—¦ 5 tablespoons ice-cold butter, diced
â—¦ ¾ cup milk

Optional accompaniment:
â—¦ 1 pint vanilla ice cream or 1 cup heavy cream, softly whipped


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

For the peach mixture: Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a large nonreactive pan, pressing out all lumps. Mix in the peaches, lemon juice, and butter, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook and stir for 1 minute, then set off the heat.

For the topping: Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add the butter and, using a pastry blender, cut in until the texture of coarse meal. Drizzle the milk over all and fork quickly just until a soft dough forms—no matter if a few floury specks show.

Scoop the peach mixture into an ungreased shallow 2 ½-quart casserole, spreading to the edge. Drop the topping by tablespoons on top, spacing evenly.

Bake on the middle oven shelf until bubbly and golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, topped, if you like, with vanilla ice ream or whipped cream.

Makes 6 to 8 servings