Flowers have blossomed and the fruit is ripe.
If I’m honest, summer is definitely not my season. It’s too hot, there are too many bugs, and no matter how hard I try to avoid it, I always end up looking like a boiled lobster. Summer does have one saving grace however, and that is the juicy, and totally scrumptious, selection of summer fruits.
When it comes to picking your fruit dessert there are countless varieties, and often it’s the good old American pie that first comes to mind, but trust me, there are a multitude of options: crisps and crumbles; buckles and grunts; betties or pandowdies! All of these work as perfect, yummy vessels to incorporate those fruits into your wonderful summer fare.
But let’s first talk tableware for a moment. For years, I’ve had an obsession for white plates, bowls, and bakeware. My most recent set of acquisitions included this perfectly appointed deep baking dish with fluted sides and handles… And since it’s peach season, and my new dish is just calling for a dessert to be baked in it, why not something with peaches! For today, let's talk about the almighty Cobbler! Specifically, a Peach Cobbler!
There are as many versions of cobbler as there are people who make them. Many times this is a recipe that is passed down through generations or shared amongst friends. Some people prefer to use a cake-like topping, but when I think about a Cobbler, it’s always made with biscuits.
Fluffy buttermilk biscuits baked on top of ripe, succulent peach segments, are reminiscent of those distinctive cobbled roads (hence the name). As it bakes your house is filled with the aroma of a sweet warmth and spices. And when it finally comes out of the oven, you see the gooey sauce bubbling up between those beautifully cobbled biscuits.
The best thing, in my mind, is that if you don’t have a great, great grandmother Ethel whose cobbler recipe always won first prize at the county fair, it is simple to create your own. Fresh peaches, some sugar, spices and fresh herbs, and a flaky, buttery biscuit topping and you’re good to go.
Harkening back to a “Fruits, Herbs and Spices” assignment from my pastry school days, I added both cinnamon and nutmeg, as well as some fresh thyme. Then some brown sugar and a starch of choice** to help thicken the (impending) sauce for my peaches. I used a tried and true recipe for the Buttermilk Biscuits I grew up with as my topping, and into the oven it went! Pairing this warm and gooey goodness with a little vanilla ice cream added a nice creaminess to the finished result.
Lagniappe of the Day: The most important thing when cooking, especially when working with fruits, is to taste, taste, taste. Sometimes when you buy an peach, it's the sweetest, juiciest most perfect tasting peach you’ve ever had. Sometimes however, it’s mealy, sour and bruised. After you’ve added all your sugar and spice and everything nice, taste and adjust. Is it too sweet? Maybe add some more lemon juice. Too bland? Add a little salt to bring out the natural sweetness.
**For my 7 fresh peaches, I used 1 T. of cornstarch rice flour. Admittedly, my pantry is currently better suited to Korean food than traditional baking and that deli container of cornstarch I thought I grabbed was actually rice flour. But rice flour is also a starch and it all worked out.
