Peach Cobbler
Cobbler [1] was a creation of British colonists in North America, attempting to recapture the flavors of suet pudding while cooking over an open fire by stewing fruit and then topping it with some kind of dough. There are many varieties of cobbler, made with many different types of dough [2]. The most common form of topping, however, is a biscuit or scone-like dough which is both tender and flaky.
Because of its simplicity, requiring little more than canned fruit and biscuit dough, cobbler is still a go-to dessert when camping. The taste of peach cobbler always reminds me of the great outdoors. Returning to camp after a long day of hiking through the Sierra Nevada, we would settle in around the fire to a hearty meal of stew and cobbler, giving our thanks to the person who had carried the heavy cast-iron Dutch oven. When at home, we can prepare cobbler with a bit more precision, elevating the dish with homemade dough and a hint of spice!
Ingredients
For the Filling
15 oz canned peaches, drained and sliced
1 tbsp cornstarch
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
For the Topping
1 cup flour
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp butter, cubed and chilled
¼ cup milk
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
Begin by preheating your oven to 425° F, with a rack in the middle of the oven. Then cut your butter into ½ inch cubes, and chill them in the refrigerator until needed. Keeping the butter cold will help us get a flaky dough!
To make the filling, drain the canned peaches and place them in a large bowl. Whatever syrup is still clinging to the peaches should be enough to make the sauce—remember that the peaches will release more water when baked. Mix the peaches together with ½ teaspoon salt, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch, which will combine with the liquid released by the peaches to form a sauce when baked.
Next, we will prepare our topping—what is essentially a biscuit dough with added sugar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, and baking powder, and mix until well combined. Then add the chilled butter cubes to the dough and cut them into the flour using a pastry cutter or fork. We want to have small pieces of solid butter distributed throughout the dough. When they melt in the oven, they will create a light and flaky texture. Continue cutting until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Then pour in the milk, mixing until the dough just comes together.
To assemble the cobbler, ladle the peach mixture into a cast iron pan or baking dish. Then, using a pair of spoons, dollop the dough uniformly across the filling. We aren’t looking for complete coverage—there should still be plenty of peach peeking out! Finally, mix together 1 tablespoon white sugar with 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and generously sprinkle this mixture over the entire cobbler.
Bake at 425° F for 30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the dough has cooked through and is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the cobbler rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve the cobbler warm, with some vanilla ice cream on the side if desired.
Substitutions
Of course, you can make cobbler with fresh peaches! Peel and slice the peaches, then cook them with sugar to taste in a pot on the stove until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain the peaches and then use them as you would the canned peaches. This cobbler technique also works well with other fruit, such as blueberries, pears, or cherries. If you’d like more dough in your cobbler, simply double the topping recipe. This should give you enough dough to completely cover the pan.
[1] The etymology of “cobbler” (as referring to the food) is a bit murky, but many believe that it refers to the top of a cobbler looking like a cobblestone path, rather than a smooth, rolled pastry top.
[2] For an exhaustive description of cobbler and its close relatives, visit the Serious Eats article here.
Recipe
Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 30 min Total Time: 50 min
Difficulty: 1/5
Heat Sources: oven
Equipment: cast iron pan or baking dish, fork or pastry cutter
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the Filling
15 oz canned peaches, drained and sliced
1 tbsp cornstarch
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
For the Topping
1 cup flour
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp butter, cubed and chilled
¼ cup milk
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 425° F, and set a rack in the middle.
2. Cut the butter into ½ inch cubes and chill in the refrigerator until needed.
3. Drain the canned peaches and place them in a large bowl. Make the filling by mixing together the peach slices, reserved syrup, cornstarch, salt, and nutmeg.
4. In a second bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and baking powder until well combined. Add the cubes of butter and cut them into the flour with a pastry cutter or fork, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
5. Add the milk to the flour and mix until the dough just comes together.
6. Ladle the peach mixture into a cast iron pan or baking dish. Using a pair of spoons, dollop the dough uniformly over the filling.
7. Mix together 1 tbsp white sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture over the whole cobbler.
8. Bake the cobbler for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and crisp and the filling is bubbly. Remove from the oven and let rest at least 10 min before serving. Serve the cobbler warm, with some ice cream on the side if desired.
