Fresh Peach Cobbler
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This is what peach cobbler looks like at our house. Of course, there are a few brief moments when it comes out of the oven looking all golden and gorgeous and bubbly, but those few moments are rather fleeting, and maybe someday I’ll get a photo of it for you. But it would just be so wrong and even mean for me to wait until then to share this recipe with you. You deserve better than that. You deserve to have this cobbler while peaches are at their peak, because around here, there is not summer without peach cobbler.
A year or two after we bought our place here in the Midwest, we planted fruit trees we bought from a local nursery. We had a perfect spot on the lower part of the property for an orchard, and so we planted a pear tree, 2 peach trees, a cherry tree and 5 apple trees. Optimism ran high as we gave the trees a year or two to mature. That was 8, maybe 9 years ago, and so far we have picked 0 pears, 0 cherries, 0 apples and 0 peaches. Nice, huh?
Well, all that changed this year. I think I mentioned how weirdly mild our winter was last year and how early spring came, and well, the orchard just got all excited. Its enthusiasm was so great that both peach trees decided to actually produce fruit...
and this year’s cobbler was made with home-grown peaches! Weehooo!! I cannot even tell you how incredible these peaches have been… perfectly sweet, flavorful and juicy. There are few things as wondrous as standing under a peach tree, biting into one of those beautiful peaches; the juices running down your arm. Incredible.
I’ve been making this self-same peach cobbler for like, well, a bazillion years. I honestly don’t remember when I made the first one; it’s been so long, but obviously, we liked it. Of course, that’s a bit of an understatement. We loved it then and we love it now, and for the last bazillion years we have not had summer without at least one. The great mystery is why I have not posted this sooner. Maybe it’s because those cobblers are gone before I can get a photo. As you can see from that photo up top, I barely made it in time this year.
But now you know. Find some peaches, make some ice cream and get this cobbler in the oven before summer’s over. I promise, you’ll do the same thing next year. And the year after that. Here’s the recipe…
Fresh Peach Cobbler
Click here for a printable recipe
6 cups sliced peaches* (about 10 or 11 medium-sized)
1 cup water
1 ¼ cups sugar
3 T quick-cooking tapioca
¼ tsp salt
2 T butter, cut into pieces
1 1/3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup sugar
½ cup shortening (I use this)
½ cup milk
Combine peaches and next four ingredients in saucepan. Let stand 5 minutes, then bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and turn into greased 9-inch square pan or 2-quart baking dish. Dot the peaches with the butter.
Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening. Gradually add milk, stirring until soft dough is formed. Knead on floured board 30 seconds. (This dough is VERY easy to work with!)
Roll or pat out dough to fit top of baking dish. Cut several slits near center of dough. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.
Let cool briefly before serving. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.
* To peel the peaches, I just cut an X in the bottom of each peach and lower them into boiling water for about 30 to 45 seconds. Let them cool slightly and the peels come right off.
