Some like it hot. I do — at least when it comes to summer dessert. Warm fruit finales are comfort food at their irresistible best.
Don’t get me wrong. When temperatures soar, I think cold entrees are the ticket. But a warm, sweet finish to the meal makes it cozy. So just before we sit down to dine on a cold-plate special, I slip a fruit-laden delicacy into the oven. Usually, it’s ready to eat at just about the time the last dinner dish is loaded into the dishwasher. Capped with a scoop of ice cream or a crown of whipped cream, peach cobbler is a favorite.
This American deep-dish fruit dessert has a rich, biscuit-type topping baked on top of the fruit. Peaches are delicious, and blueberries can be added if you like. Add a smaller amount of the berries than peaches, such as five cups of sliced peaches and two cups of blueberries.
Peach Cobbler
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
9 medium-size ripe yellow-flesh peaches
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup buttermilk (shake closed carton before measuring)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, for serving
DIRECTIONS
Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Submerge peaches in boiling water for about 1 minute. The amount of time required to make the skin easy to peel varies with the degree of ripeness. If they are super ripe, it may take less time. Remove peaches with a slotted spoon and run cold water on them. Slip off skin. Cut peaches into wedges (twist the knife against the pit to release the slices) and place in either a deep, 10-inch pie plate or a 2-inch-deep 2-quart baking dish.
Toss peaches with lemon juice and 1/2 cup sugar. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes, until the peaches are hot and juices bubble. Meanwhile, make topping: In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or rub with your fingers, until mixture resembles small peas. Pour buttermilk over top. Toss with a fork until the mixture clumps together.
Using 2 large spoons, drop heaping tablespoons of dough over peaches in a single layer. In a small cup, mix 2 teaspoons sugar and nutmeg. Sprinkle over biscuits.
Bake until biscuits are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into them comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Set dish on wire rack to cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve with ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.
