Peach Cobbler

(Since we got back from Hawaii, I haven't been able to find my camera charger, thus iPhone pictures have replaced Canon Powershot pictures for the last three months. Please excuse the fuzzy blurriness...hopefully the charger will show up soon.) 

I have searched for a couple peach cobbler recipes, but nothing struck me as "the one" until I found this. Cornmeal biscuit topping? Yes, please. What else but cornmeal could be better with peaches? While I love the light, fresh, shortbread taste of my blueberry cobbler, I equally love the comfortable, home-y, and savory cornmeal taste of this peach cobbler.

Oh, and yes, I'm aware that today is the first day of autumn and peaches are a summer fruit. But you can always hope for some summer roll-over. The weather forecast for this weekend is in the 80s!

*Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

INGREDIENTS:

(for the fruit):

6-8 peaches, pitted and cut into slices*

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

(for the biscuit topping):

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup ground cornmeal (yellow or white)

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup buttermilk**

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss peached with sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt in the bottom of a 2-quart ovenproof dish.

Make the biscuit dough. Stir together the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into the dry mixture with your fingertips (or a pastry blender, if you have one--I don't). Stir in buttermilk with a rubber spatula until a wet, tacky dough comes together. 

Plop spoonfuls of the biscuit dough over the filling. Bake until the cobbler's syrup is bubbly and the biscuit tops are browned, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool slightly and scoop into bowls. Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. 

*Here is an easy way to peel peaches: Cut a small "x" in the bottom of each peach. Dip them in boiling water for 30 seconds and remove with a slotted spoon. The skins will slide off.

**Don't have buttermilk in your house? Me neither. As a substitute, place one Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a one-cup measuring cup. Fill to the one cup line with milk and let stand for five minutes. Apparently this creates the "tang" that is found in buttermilk. 

Blueberry Cobbler

I once had an amazing strawberry cobbler at Kincaid's restaurant in Redondo Beach, CA. I think this recipe is a great homemade version. The cobbler is slightly reminiscent of the consistency of shortcake and the lemon zest adds a freshness that keeps the dish from feeling too heavy. Mmmm. Cobbler with any type of fruit: what a summer delight.

*Recipe from Real Simple

INGREDIENTS:

2 pints blueberries (or other fruit -- I think strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, apples, peaches would all work well)

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups plus 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

6 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 cups heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish or a 9-inch pie plate, toss the blueberried, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1 Tablespoon flour.

In a medium bowl, combine the baking powder, salt, lemon zest, and the remaining flour and sugar.

Add the butter and blend with your fingers or two knives (it's easer with your fingers) until coarse crumbs form. Add 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cream and mix until a shaggy dough forms.

Drop mounds of dough over the blueberry mixture. Bake until the berries are bubbling and the top is golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream. (We prefer Breyer's vanilla bean.)

Enjoy!