PEACH COBBLER
A tale of two cobblers
Cobblers are like religions. There are different varieties and different offshoots of the different varieties. Catholic, American Baptist, Missionary Baptist, Free-Will Baptist, Presbyterian Church in America, Presbyterian Church of the USA, Cumberland Presbyterian Church, you get the drift.
It's all good. So it is with cobblers.
The Crust Dilemma
For any fruit, there are two kinds of crusts, pie-like and biscuit-like.
The pie-like cobbler crust is self-explanatory. The peaches and filling are topped by a crisp pie-like crust that can be left whole or latticed. The differences between pie-like cobbler and regular peach pie are thus:
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cobbler has no bottom crust,
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cobbler filling tends to be a little runnier than pie filling, and
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nobody really makes peach pie much. I mean, why?
Pie-like cobbler takes more time and is a little more trouble. But for those who are crust lovers, and I am one, nothing beats it.
You can make your own crust and feel smug. Or you can use store-bought. I won't tell.
Biscuit-dough cobbler is admittedly easier. The dough is poured into a pan, often a 9x13 size, then the peaches are poured on top. This dough rises to the top as it bakes and creates a—wait for it—biscuit or scone-like crust. A bit more bread-like but just as satisfying.
This cobbler is great in an oh-no-I-forgot-I-have-to-take-something-to-Aunt-Dinah's-for-Sunday-dinner kind of way. My grandmother favored this kind of cobbler for its ease. This is her quick-and-dirty-recipe.
Easy Peach Cobbler
¾ stick (6 tbl) butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1 cup milk
½ cup sugar
1 tbl cornstarch
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
4 cups peaches (about 6), peeled and chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
While preheating oven to 350 degrees, melt margarine in a 9x13 inch glass dish. Mix next five ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. Pour batter over the margarine in baking dish. Do not stir. Mix ½ c sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon in 2 quart saucepan. Stir in peaches and lemon juice. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Pour over batter mixture in dish. Do not stir. Batter will rise to the top. Bake 35 -40 minutes or until golden brown.
Let me know how yours turns out!
