Lately, I’ve been going crazy for peaches! This season’s peaches are simply amazing. I’ve been enjoying them fresh, biting into their juicy flesh and letting their sweet nectar run down my chin and arm. But I’ve also been experimenting with different ways to savor these beauties, like slicing them over yogurt and granola, making peach jam that looks like a gorgeous summer sunset, and baking them into buttery, lemony cakes.
I discovered a new way to enjoy peaches – in a cobbler! I’ve never made cobbler before, but the idea of sweet, juicy fruit bubbling away under a buttery layer of crumbly pastry sounded irresistible. The warm aroma of vanilla and stone fruit filling my house as it baked in the oven was simply divine. I’m a big fan of simple desserts like this, especially those made with stewed or roasted fruits. So, with an abundance of fresh peaches in my fridge, I decided to whip up this beautiful cobbler for a leisurely weekend breakfast, although it would also make a delightful dessert after a light dinner with a large pot of earl grey tea.
I created a pastry topping that was a cross between a scone, a biscuit, and a cake. It was flaky, crumbly, and buttery, with a crisp golden crust, and I was thrilled with the results. It was a breeze to make using a food processor, which was perfect for my morning foggy brain.
I kept things simple for the fruit mixture to highlight the sensational flavor of the sweet, ripe peaches. I added a hint of vanilla (because I’m addicted to it), a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten things up, a touch of sugar or honey (although the fruit was so sweet it hardly needed any help), and a bit of cornstarch to thicken it ever so slightly. I peeled my peaches using the boiling water method I talked about in my last post, but you could easily skip this step and slice the peaches with the skin on. I think it would be delicious either way.
I don’t usually add any accompaniments to my baked goods. I’m a bit of a purist and prefer to have my cake, crumble, cobbler, or brownie plain, just on its own. I think ice cream is a dessert in and of itself, so I don’t usually top my sweets with it. Other toppings like whipped cream or sour cream rarely feel necessary to me, and I ended up skipping them entirely. I find that usually, whatever I’m eating is perfect just as it is, and doesn’t need any improvements or embellishments. But that’s just me! You can top yours with whatever your heart desires.
This cobbler was so incredibly good that I think it was worth the nasty burn I acquired while making it. I got too excited about the food and forgot that the cast iron skillet was hot, so I grabbed the handle with my bare palm. It was a moment of sheer stupidity, and now I don’t have many fingerprints left, but I don’t regret it at all. I even managed to photograph the dish with one hand and the help of my wonderfully supportive #InstagramHusband, who held the camera for me.
Perfect Peach Cobbler
Ingredients
FOR THE FRUIT:
- 1 kg ripe but firm peaches about 6 large ones
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- seeds from ½ vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 45 g brown sugar OR 2-3 tbsp. honey, or to taste
- 1 tbsp cornstarch also know as corn flour
FOR THE PASTRY:
- 225 g plain flour
- 50 g sugar
- ½ tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 85 g butter cut into small cubes, very cold
- 60 ml milk
- a little extra sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 210 C (410 F)
- To peel the peaches (optional): bring a large pot of water to the boil. Make a shallow X in the bottom of each peach with a sharp knife. Drop the peaches into the boiling water and leave them for just 30-40 seconds, then remove them from the water and immerse them into a bowl of cold water. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, use your fingers to pull the skin off; it should peel right off very easily! Slice the peaches into 8ths and discard the pit (it can be a bit tricky to get rid of the pit, as it is usually really stuck to the flesh. What I do is cut off the cheeks of the peach like you would do a mango, then cut off the 2 parts on either side of the pit and discard it). Otherwise, just slice the peaches with the skin on.
- Place the sliced peaches, lemon juice, vanilla, sugar/honey & cornstarch into a 24cm cast iron skillet or similarly sized baking dish. Give them a good mix together, then place the skillet/dish into the oven for 10 minutes, while you prepare the topping.
- To make the pastry topping: in a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt & baking powder and pulse a couple of times to mix. Add the cubed butter (make sure to keep the butter in the fridge until just before using it!) and pulse a few times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with bits of pea-sized butter still visible. Pour in the milk with the motor running on medium then switch off the motor right away. You don’t want it to be smooth and form a uniform dough, it should be crumbly and have differently sized clumps.
- Take the fruit filling out of the oven (carefully! it will be super hot!) and sprinkle the pastry onto the surface, spreading out the clumps loosely without compacting them, without covering the fruit completely. I like to keep a few centimetres of the fruit around the edge exposed, so that the fruit can bubble away comfortably and give off steam. Don’t worry about making the top neat and smooth, you want it to look messy and clumpy! (refer to photos). Sprinkle a little extra sugar on top for an extra crispy crust.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the pastry has risen and formed a lovely deep golden crust, and the fruit is bubbling vigorously. Serve warm as it is, or top with a dollop of cream/sour cream/yoghurt or even ice cream if you please. Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, and can be reheated in a warm oven with very good results.
Notes
Nutrition
My name is Noha.
I’m passionate about food, an avid traveler, and I love to explore new cultures and cuisines whenever I get the chance by sharing my recipes and experiences with my readers.
A big fan of exploring different cuisines and always looking for new and exciting flavors to explore. I’m especially interested in healthy eating and finding ways to make delicious dishes without sacrificing nutrition.
