“The cobbler is simple. It’s homey, nothin’ fancy. It cuts across socio-ecomonic lines and is eaten in red and blue states alike. It’s history is one of immigrant innovative spirit. A Peach cobbler is as American as Apple Pie.” Kim O’Donnel – The Washington Post.
Our English ancestors brought us the fruit pies which they had baked in brick ovens for centuries. When they arrived in America, they were forced by the primitive conditions to do most of their cooking over open fires. They put their sliced fruits in heavy cast iron pans and placed them in the coals to cook. They added a topping of biscuit dough to them and placed a heavy lid on top so that the biscuit dough could rise and brown. Thus the cobbler was born.
In the South, peaches were plentiful. I can imagine the early settlers made cobblers because of the availability of the fruit and the frugality inherent in their makeup. Nothing went to waste in the humble homes of our ancestors. If biscuits were made for breakfast, any leftover dough could be used for a sweet cobbler.
Today in the South, most of the Meat and 3 style restaurants and the Barbecue restaurants feature peach cobbler on the menu. It is a tradition and one that I have come to love. I love cobblers, crisps, crumbles, grunts, pandowdies, buckles, brown betties and sonkers.
But my favorite by far is peach cobbler and this recipe from All Recipes is the best. The peaches are flavored with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. The biscuit topping is rich with butter and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Served warm with a scoop of ice cream, this is the flavor of late summer and perfect eaten while on the porch in the evening watching the fireflies and listening to the cicadas.
SOUTHERN PEACH COBBLER
8 Fresh Georgia peaches – peeled, pitted and sliced into wedges
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons conrstarch
For the biscuit topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup boiling water
For Topping:
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, both sugars, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.
Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.
I am linking this recipe to the Two for Tuesdays blog hop carnival. Go to Girlichef’s blog to view all of the links to blogger’s who are cooking up “Real” food; food that is not processed and the kind of food that your Grandmother might have made.
This is one of those wondferful fruit desserts that I look foward to all year long. I like that your recipe includes both cinnamon and nutmeg.
I just took a homely folded-over-crust pie out of the oven, or I’d be SO jealous of your beautiful knobby-top cobbler!!
Peach cobbler is my favorite dessert … hand down. And served warm with vanilla ice cream. Oh my. I have some sweet cream biscuits in the freezer, not sure I would have thought to use them for cobbler. Thanks for that idea. Except I’ll have to use fresh Colorado peaches. 😉
I don’t think I’ve ever had a peach cobbler – blueberry, yes, but not peach. I’ll have to give this a try.
oh my!!!! this looks insane! Kind of looks like snickerdoodles on top! I will try soon for sure!
Love you!
The peaches just hit critical mass here NYC way… I can’t get enough… thanks for a great recipe.
I haven’t had a good cobbler in years. Yours looks fabulous. The peaches have been so wonderful this year. What a great way to use up their goodness.
Sam
This is such a delightful peach cobbler!! The dessert looks
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM,..Another must try!
mmmmm…that’s soooo tempting! I love fresh fruit pies and cobblers…i haven’t had a peach one yet this year. I’d love a plate of your warm cobbler w/a scoop of ice cream and a cup of coffee- pure bliss! Thank you for sharing this with Two for Tuesdays this week! =)
I have never seen the peaches as good and juicy as this year. Your cobbler looks and sounds like the perfect dessert.Been a long time since I made one;
Rita
Penny! Oh how i WISH i could take a bite of that delicious goodness! We made peach deep dish pie the other day with my mom and niece and it was divine, but cobbler is SO much better! Ohhh, thanks for sharing on the two for tuesday recipe blog hop! 🙂 Alex@amoderatelife
From one Penny to another, this cobbler looks amazing! I have an extremely prolific peach tree in my yard and this is a perfect use for some of those lovely peaches!
I really enjoyed reading the history you included about this beloved dessert. I wish it were true that we were all so frugal in the kitchen these days. Thank you for participating in Two for Tuesday.
Fresh peaches, here I come! This looks as if it may be the best peach cobbler ever. I am so grateful to you because I have a friend whose birthday I forgot and who is always searching for the peach cobbler that her late mother made. She and I have come close, but no cigar! I think you may have given it to me. I’ll stick it in her birthday card and all will be forgiven. Can’t wait to make it. I’m glad you’ve veered off off Weight Watchers Avenue long enough to concoct this. Thanks!
I saw my first firefly recently on my trip to Athens, Georgia. My boyfriend’s Aunt was talking to me in the living room and saw these little pops of light through the window behind her. I kept seeing them and seeing them and I finally had to interrupt her to ask, “are there fireflies here?” and she said yes. My response was “Oh, thank God. I thought I was having a stroke!”
Penny, this cobbler looks divine. I am not one for cobblers, preferring crisps and pies but I am definitely going to make this one my first.
Your cobbler looks YUMMY! By any chance, will canned peaches work with this recipe? Thanx for your response.
Don’t know for sure, but it is worth a try Ginny. Good luck.