Tuesday, May 14, 2013

North Meets South Peach Cobbler

Tex here, and around my house, cobbler has always been a source of contention. You see, hubby grew up in Texas, I grew up in Michigan. For me, peach cobbler is a hot, bubbling fruit mixture topped with cake-like biscuits. For my man, and most Texans, it's like a pie without the bottom crust. That's my interpretation anyway.

So several years ago, I set out on a quest to come up with a cobbler recipe we could both agree on. After countless tries, and loads of peaches, I was victorious. And would believe this recipe even took third place in the Grapevine Peach Cobbler and Delight Contest? 'Cept while they all used pie crusts, I had something better.

Here's what's you're going to need:

5 cups peaches, peeled and sliced (or 2-3 lbs. frozen sliced peaches)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup chilled, unsalted butter, cubed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1-3 tablespoons cold water

Mix together peaches, lemon juice, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and cinnamon. Since peaches aren't in season yet, and it looks like we're not going to have much of a crop this year thanks to some late freezes, I opted for frozen peaches.

 
Go ahead, stir 'em all up, then set aside.
 
 Now mix together your chilled butter, 1 cup flour, salt, and 1 T sugar. I prefer the food process for mixing, but you use a bowl and pastry cutter, if you prefer.

 Pulse until it resembles coarse meal.
 
Now, with the processor running, add cold water, one tablespoon at a time. Not too much, not too little. You want it to form a ball, like this.
 
Roll just enough to fit your pan. The edges don't have to be perfect and it doesn't have to be thin. Obviously, I have a little more rolling to do.


In the meantime, pour your peach mixture into a buttered baking dish.

Top with your crust. You can add little cuts to vent or make it look pretty, but it's not necessary.

 
Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes for fresh peaches, 45-50 minutes for frozen. You want the fruit bubbly and the crust golden.

Ideally, I would have topped my warm cobbler with a nice scoop of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream, but we were out, so I had to settle for whipped cream. That's what I get for not planning ahead.

 
Didn't matter though. It still tasted DE-LISH.
 
One thing I like about cobbler is that the fruit is the star. Plus it's rustic. Doesn't have to look perfect.
 
But the best thing I like about THIS cobbler, is that hubby and I agree.
 
With fresh fruit season right around the corner, what are you looking forward to most?
 


11 comments:

  1. Tex, you're right, this is a crustless pie! Silly Texans.

    That reminds me of how I BOMBED in the Lonestar contest years ago. (Not that I'm bitter, mind you, oh no.... the fact that the woman told me she had to read my entry with a DICTIONARY BY HER SIDE to understand my language, well.... No, no, not bitter!!!!) :)

    Okay, back to peachy-goodness!!! So this is delightfully easy and scrumptious looking. I love it! And the fact that you compromised. I won't tell Dave that part, we Yankee women don't do compromise well.

    (I could be wrong, it could be just me.)

    May I say that I'm still so excited about Jan's BOOK SIGHTING!!!!!

    Grinning in upstate!!!

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  2. Go back in time 20-some years. Imagine a couple wide-eyed Michigan transplants in West Texas. It's peach season. The locals are raving about the Texas peaches...and then we tried one.

    I almost cried.

    And then they shared their peach "cobbler." More tears.

    It was one of many lessons I had to learn - just because something is different doesn't mean it's BAD :)

    We learned to love our Texan friends and their peach cobbler. I know I'm going to love this recipe!

    I have to admit, though, when we moved back north in August of '93, six months pregnant, and finally had Michigan peaches again, I devoured them. I can't believe that poor baby didn't smell like peaches when he was born!

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  3. I never answered your question, Mindy!

    You asked what I'm looking forward to most for fresh fruit season -

    My sons are buying and planting raspberries for my mother's day present. It is SO hard (and expensive) to find fresh raspberries in the store, and they know I've really missed the patch we left back in Kansas. By mid-summer, we should have a few berries!

    Next year? Raspberry jam!

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  4. Bless you!!!!!! I am soooooo making this on the weekend! And I won't forget the ice cream. That's going on the list right now. I think peaches are my very favourite fresh fruit, but alas I have to wait until August up here so frozen it is.

    I'm looking forward to strawberries because that's our first fruit crop and it's coming up in June. Hooray!!!! Strawberry shortcake, strawberry jam, strawberry pie, pancakes and strawberries...well, let's just say I won't run out of strawberry options before the harvest is done.

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    Replies
    1. Kav, peaches are my favorite, too. Well, maybe in a tie with blueberries. :)

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  5. Oh, I love all this fresh talk! It's been a long winter, hasn't it? I'm aching to make Grandma's peach pie that I shared last year... it wasn't her recipe, but she gave it to me and it was the best one I ever had.... Now I'm jonesin' for peaches!!!

    And Jan, isn't it funny how the fruit from various regions tastes so different? Of course they're developed for specific climates sometimes, but the taste difference is noticeable. And we all love what we knew first.

    The strawberries that do well in Florida aren't the same ones that do well up here. And the soil is so different...

    Amazing how that changes things.

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    Replies
    1. So right. You haven't had a peach until you have South Carolina or Georgia peaches, though!! :)

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  6. Mindy, thanks for sharing this! Growing up in KY, my mom made the type cobbler that has more of a biscuit crust. Only it's not in formed biscuits. She'd mix up a batter. Pour it in the dish. Then pour the fruit on top. The crust would bake up to the top and form a soft, biscuity crust (crispy on the outside where it browned).

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    Replies
    1. Mmmm! I have a recipe like that! I love using it with blackberries!

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  7. With us it was more of a crip than cobbler thing. I can't wait for peaches to come in! Missy is so right. Thanks for sharing.

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