Craving Cobbler

Peach cobbler is the quintessential summer favorite in the south. And this weekend, I was craving me some cobbler.

After years of trying to find the right balance between the northern biscuit-like cobbler I grew up on and the Texas pie-without-the-bottom-crust style my husband was used to, I finally came up with something we could both agree on. However, the last time I made it, I found it lacking. So while it wasn't back to the drawing board, it was time for a few tweaks. 

I am happy to say, that my current recipe rocks. Hubby loves it, I love it, the boys love it... What more could a mom ask for?

So, here's what you'll need:

Fruit Filling

5 cups peaches, peeled and sliced (you can also use frozen, unsweetened sliced peaches)

1 tsp lemon juice (omit if using frozen peaches since they already have ascorbic acid on them to prevent browning)

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/2 t  ground cinnamon

Dash of salt

Crust

1 cup flour

1/4 t salt

2 Tablespoons sugar (plus one more for sprinkling)

1/2 t baking powder

1/4 t ground cinnamon

1/3 cup butter, chilled and cubed

2 T chilled whipping cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Start by putting the dry ingredients for your crust into a medium size bowl.

Whisk to blend and set aside.

Place peaches in a large bowl and add remaining filling ingredients.

Stir to coat.

And pour into buttered baking dish and set aside.

Now go back to your dry ingredients for the crust and add your cold butter.

Cut in butter with a pastry blender or fork until well blended and no large chunks of butter remain.

Stir in whipping cream (in a pinch, you could use ice water, but I prefer the extra richness of the cream). Don't be alarmed if mixture isn't wet. It should be crumbly, like you see here.

Form into ball...

And put on surface to flatten. 

Silly me, I put it on the cutting board instead of the cold counter, not taking into consideration that it was 95 degrees outside. With the added warmth of my hands as I worked the dough, it wanted to stick to the board. 

You could use a rolling pin, however you may find the dough sticking to it. 

I simply used my hands and formed a crude square, then laid it atop my fruit filling.

Cut a few slits for venting and sprinkle top with additional tablespoon of sugar.

Bake 30-35 minutes if using fresh peaches, 45-55 if using frozen. 

Your crust should be golden brown and the filling will be bubbling around the edges.

I like mine warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Oh, yeah. Now that's perfection.

Craving has been satisfied. 

What fruity desserts are you looking forward to this summer?