Southern Peach Cobbler

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In the spirit of hanging onto every last bit of summer, I’m sharing my favorite Southern peach cobbler recipe this week. It’s an easy and rustic dessert made from sweet peaches, warm spices and a homemade buttermilk biscuit topping — baked until the fruit is tender and bubbling and the topping is crisp and golden. Plus it’s a great way to use up all your summer peaches, as well as any other fruit you’d like to mix in (blackberries would be wonderful). Be sure to add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or dollop of sweetened whipped cream on top!



Ingredients

  • 3-1/4 pounds yellow peaches (about 8), peeled, pitted and cut into 1/4-inch slices
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, from 1 lemon
  • About 1 cup sugar, divided
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife
  • 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks, plus more for greasing the pan
  • 2/3 cup buttermilk (see note below to make your own)
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • Vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, for serving


Instructions



  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9-inch square or 7 x 11-inch baking dish.
  2. Make the peach filling: In a large bowl, combine the peaches, lemon juice, 2/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well to coat the peaches evenly. Taste the filling; it should have the perfect balance of tart and sweet. If it is too tart, add 1-2 tablespoons more sugar. Set aside.
  3. Make the topping: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, 6 tablespoons of sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the butter and blend with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the buttermilk and almond extract and stir with a spoon until just combined. It will look a little bit lumpy -- do not overmix.
  4. Transfer the peach filling to the prepared baking dish (don't leave any of the juices behind) and flatten into an even layer. Drop the batter in large, evenly spaced dollops on top of the peaches. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the batter. Place the baking dish on a foil-lined sheet pan in the oven (to guard against spills) and bake until the bottom is bubbling and the top is golden, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 10-15 minutes, then serve with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.
  5. Cover any leftover cobbler loosely with a kitchen towel. (Do not cover with plastic wrap or the biscuit topping will get soggy.) Reheat in a 325°F oven for about 15 minutes.
  6. Note: To make your own buttermilk, add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then, add milk to the 2/3 cup line and let sit for 15 minutes, until the mixture curdles.

Source:onceuponachef.com