Let’s make peach cobbler!

Nothing makes a better cobbler than summer peaches. At its best the fruit has a complex flavor—lusciously sweet with an underlying sourness and a tiny grace note of bitterness imparted by the peel.

Peach cobbler is a perfect summer dessert, but my family also loves having it for a weekend breakfast along with strong, milky coffee. You don’t have to wait until the morning to make it—I certainly don’t! Bake it the afternoon or evening before (don’t refrigerate), then the next morning pop it into a warm oven for a few minutes while you prepare the coffee and assemble bowls and silverware.

Be sure to taste the peaches as you peel and stone them so you can judge how much sugar to use. You’ll notice I use brown sugar in the thickening liquid. This adds even more depth to all those taste layers and since it’s such a small amount you don’t get a heavy caramel taste at all.

I don’t specified whole wheat flour for some wacky health reason. Its stronger nutty flavor really does taste better here. If you don’t believe me, try the biscuit topping with white flour. The resulting cobbler will seem bland compared to the more muscular whole wheat version.

Peach Cobbler

Serves 6

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel and slice enough peaches to make 4 C.
Toss with some lemon juice, 2 or 3 teaspoons, as you’re slicing them.
Sprinkle with a little regular white sugar to taste. The amount will depend on how naturally sweet your peaches are. (One of the benefits of this recipe is the cook has to keep tasting those peaches, so make sure you have plenty!)

Mix
1 ½ T cornstarch
¼ to ⅓ C brown sugar (again the amount depends on how sweet the peaches are and your personal taste)
½ C cold water

Combine this mixture in a saucepan with the sliced peaches.
Cook and stir until thickened.
Remove from heat and add
1 T butter
1 tsp almond extract
Stir to mix and pour into a baking dish. I use a 2 quart casserole because the filling often bubbles up while baking. The larger dish prevents spills on the oven floor.

Top with
Biscuit topping:

Stir together
1 C whole wheat flour
1 or 2 T sugar (according to how sweet you like it)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
dash of salt

Cut in
¼ C cold butter until like coarse crumbs

Mix
¼ C milk
1 slightly beaten egg
and add all at once to dry ingredients.
Stir just to moisten.

Drop by spoonfuls atop hot fruit. Sprinkle with sugar to give a little sparkle.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until topper is done. It will have risen and be lightly browned.

We like this served warm with whipped cream or with a glug of plain thick cream poured over. It’s also good with a dollop of thick Greek yogurt. If you are serving this as a dessert, a scoop of your very own home-made vanilla ice cream sends it into the stratosphere!