Perfect Peach Cobbler

Is there a more irresistible sign of summer than a farmer’s market full of stone fruits? They have such a short season that if you blink (or go on vacation at the wrong time), you’ll miss the best bites. So you have to make the most of the plums, peaches, apricot, and cherries while they’re available. And of course, that means dessert.

While there are any number of delicious ways to serve fresh, baked, or grilled peaches, I think the absolute classic is peach cobbler. I make a lot of cobblers over the summer, and a lot of crisps in the fall, as “healthy” desserts (I know, I know – but for me this is pretty close). But the tough thing about these fruit based desserts is that the texture varies considerably according to how ripe the fruit is, how juicy, how firm – all the things you really don’t know until they’ve cooked up. While most are still edible, they are unpredictable. But never fear – I found the answer.

Cook’s Illustrated (one of my favorites – the magazine equivalent of Alton Brown) published a peach cobbler recipe a few years back that I unearthed recently when cleaning out my cookbook shelves. They’ve managed, as usual, to take a classic recipe, deconstruct it, and re-assemble the ingredients with scientific accuracy and delicious results. Here, the peaches are coated in sugar and drained, ensuring you have just the right amount of liquid (texture is perfect). The biscuit dough uses yogurt to provide a hint of tanginess without sacrificing that cakey crumb. And the whole thing is easy to put together in an hour, while watching the Disney channel and talking on the phone with your buddy in New York (I checked). So here is there recipe, edited down but essentially unaltered, and may you enjoy your summer fruits while they last. Happy Fourth of July, folks!


Perfect Peach Cobbler
Edited from Cook’s Illustrated

Filling Ingredients:
2 ½ pounds fresh peaches (6-7 medium, organic if you can)
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. lemon juice (fresh squeezed is always best)

Biscuit Topping Ingredients:
1 c. all-purpose flour
3 T. sugar plus more for sprinkling
¾ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
5 T. cold butter, cut into ¼ inch cubes
1/3 cup whole milk yogurt (I used nonfat Greek, as usual)


Directions for Filling:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place rack in lower third of oven.
Peel peaches, halve and pit. * Note: peaches can be refrigerated overnight, and then peeled with a vegetable peeler. Alternatively, you may use the “blanch and shock” method. Remove hard or dark flesh from the area around the pit. Cut each half into 4 wedges (i.e., 8 wedges per peach). Toss with the ¼ cup sugar and let stand for 30 minutes, tossing every 5 minutes. Drain peaches, reserving liquid in a bowl. Whisk ¼ cup of liquid (discard remainder, or combine with rum as your cocktail) with cornstarch and lemon juice. Add peaches back and pour the lot into an 8 inch square glass baking dish. Bake in oven for 10 minutes, until peaches are just beginning to bubble around the edge.


Directions for Biscuit Topping:
While peaches are in the oven (so that dough doesn’t dry out), combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a food processor. Pulse briefly. Add butter, pulse just until mixture forms a coarse meal. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and add yogurt stirring until just combined (overmixed dough will make tough biscuits). Break dough into 6 portions of identical size, making them slightly flattened golf ball shapes.


Directions for Baking and Serving:
After peaches have baked 10 minutes, remove from oven and place biscuit mounds on top (see pattern – you don’t want them too close). Sprinkle dough lightly with sugar (cinnamon might not be bad either) and return to oven for another 15 minutes. The cobbler should be golden brown on top, with bubbling fruit beneath. Cool on a rack for 20 minutes, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Cobbler may be reheated at 350 degrees until heated through.