Classic Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •9x13 inch baking dish or 10-inch cast iron skillet
• •Rimmed sheet pan (to catch drips)
• •Pastry blender or two forks
• •Large mixing bowl

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the peaches

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut a shallow X in the bottom of each peach. Working in batches, lower peaches into boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, then transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water. The skins should slip off easily under your fingers. If they resist, the peaches need more time in the hot water. Halve, pit, and slice the peaches into wedges about half an inch thick.

   Truly ripe peaches at the peak of summer may not need blanching at all. If the skin peels easily when you rub it with your thumb, skip the boiling water entirely.
2. 2

   Macerate the fruit

   Place peach slices in a large bowl. Add 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar, the lemon juice, almond extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Toss gently until the slices are evenly coated. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes while you prepare the biscuit topping. The sugar will draw out juice, creating the syrup that makes cobbler glorious.

3. 3

   Mix the dry ingredients

   Preheat your oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. These proportions give you biscuits that are lightly sweet but not cloying, with enough lift to puff properly over the bubbling fruit.

4. 4

   Cut in the butter

   Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender, two forks, or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized pieces remaining. Those larger pieces will create flaky layers in your finished biscuits. Speed matters here. If the butter warms too much, refrigerate the bowl for ten minutes before continuing.

   Cold butter is essential. It creates steam pockets during baking that give biscuits their characteristic layers. Soft butter blends in completely and produces a dense, cakey result.
5. 5

   Add the wet ingredients

   Combine the cold buttermilk and vanilla extract in a measuring cup. Pour over the flour mixture and stir with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. You should still see some dry spots. Do not overmix. The dough will look rough and unfinished. This is correct.

6. 6

   Assemble the cobbler

   Transfer the macerated peaches and all their accumulated juices to a 9x13 inch baking dish or a 10-inch cast iron skillet. The fruit should be no more than two inches deep. Drop the biscuit dough in eight rough mounds over the fruit, spacing them relatively evenly. They don't need to touch, and they shouldn't cover the fruit completely. Gaps allow steam to escape and fruit to bubble through.

7. 7

   Finish and bake

   Brush the biscuit tops with melted butter, then sprinkle with turbinado sugar. The coarse crystals stay intact during baking, giving you that restaurant-quality sparkle and crunch. Place the baking dish on a rimmed sheet pan to catch any bubbling overflow. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the biscuits are deeply golden brown and the fruit is bubbling actively around the edges.

   The sheet pan underneath is not optional. Fruit cobblers bubble over with enthusiasm. Your future self will thank you for protecting your oven.
8. 8

   Rest and serve

   Remove from the oven and let the cobbler cool for at least 15 minutes. This resting period allows the juices to thicken slightly and prevents third-degree burns from molten fruit. Serve warm, never hot, with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into the valleys between biscuits. Cold whipped cream works beautifully too.

Chef Tips

• •The peaches must be ripe. Smell the stem end before buying. A peach should smell like a peach. No fragrance means no flavor. Hard, unripe fruit will not soften in the oven and produces a cobbler that tastes of disappointment.
• •Frozen peaches are a respectable substitute when fresh aren't available. Use them directly from frozen without thawing, but increase baking time by 10 minutes. The extra moisture will cook off.
• •For a boozy variation worthy of adult gatherings, add 2 tablespoons of bourbon to the macerated peaches. The alcohol cooks off but leaves behind a warmth that complements the fruit beautifully.
• •Leftover cobbler keeps covered at room temperature for a day or refrigerated for three days. Reheat portions in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes to re-crisp the biscuit tops. The microwave makes them soggy.

Advance Preparation

• •The biscuit topping can be mixed through the butter step and refrigerated overnight in a covered bowl. Add the buttermilk just before assembling.
• •Peaches can be peeled and sliced up to 4 hours ahead. Toss with lemon juice immediately to prevent browning, then add remaining maceration ingredients 30 minutes before baking.
• •The fully assembled but unbaked cobbler can wait at room temperature for up to 30 minutes while your oven preheats and your dinner wraps up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 290g)