120 Min

Peach Cobbler

My first and only restaurant job in the late nighties was at the eponymous CafeAnnie, where I worked in the pastry division. As part of pastry prep, we made a giant berry cobbler with a ton of fresh raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries and a few roasted diced apples to give the cobbler body. We would keep the cobbler warm through lunch and dinner service and cut circular hunks of it, serve it topped off with vanilla bean ice cream. The edges around the wonderous cobbler were up for grabs and subsequently became my breakfast. Two years later, when I left CafeAnnie, I had that recipe memorized and played around with versions at home. I eliminated the base layer of the cobbler and just kept the gooey fruit filling. The black pepper in the topping and the filling may sound unusual but it helps cut the sugar and adds another dimension of flavor. The biscuit crossed with a cake like topping is crunchy but soft and cakey inside. My favorite way to eat cobbler or any such warm fruity sweet is with a side of plain unsweetened cream. Give it a try, I promise it will not last long in your home.

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Cook Time

120 Minutes

Serves

8

Directions

Step 1

To make the cobbler topping combine the flour with semolina, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, and baking powder. Add the cold diced butter and mix with your fingertips until crushed into smaller chunks.

Step 2

Add the heavy cream and roll the dough into a thick log. Refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for longer.

Step 3

To make the cobbler, preheat the oven to 325F.

Step 4

Combine the peaches with butter, sugar, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, black pepper, ginger, and salt and put in the bottom of a 8” by 10” deep baking dish or a 10” round deep cast iron pan.

Step 5

Cut the cobbler topping into 1/2-inch slices and place them on top of the fruit. No need to cover the entire fruit - this allows tiny gaps for the steam to come through.

Step 6

Bake the cobbler for 40 to 45 minutes – the top with be slightly puffy and golden. Let the cobbler rest for at least 30 minutes before cutting into it. Enjoy it with fresh cream poured alongside.

Notes & Variations

Cobbler works best with semi-ripe to hard peaches. If they are super soft, reduce the sugar. Also, the peaches do not need to be peeled – just cut and dice.
Combine peaches with blackberries, raspberries, or other fruit of your choice like cherries or apples.
It is important to bake the cobbler long enough to let the dough cook correctly so even if it appears golden a little early, leave it in there for at least 40 minutes.

Ingredients

Topping:

2 cups | 270g | 9.5oz all-purpose flour

1/3 cup | 60g | 2oz semolina

1/2 cup | 100g| 3.5oz sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 tablespoons | 57g | 2 ounces cold unsalted butter

Scant 1 cup| 240g | 8.5 oz heavy whipping cream

Filling:

7 to 8 cups of diced pitted peaches

1 tablespoon diced butter

3/4 cup | 150g | 5.5 oz sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup heavy cream for serving alongside cobbler

Step 1

Step 2

Add the heavy cream and roll the dough into a thick log. Refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for longer.

Step 3

To make the cobbler, preheat the oven to 325F.

Step 4

Combine the peaches with butter, sugar, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, black pepper, ginger, and salt and put in the bottom of a 8” by 10” deep baking dish or a 10” round deep cast iron pan.

Step 5

Cut the cobbler topping into 1/2-inch slices and place them on top of the fruit. No need to cover the entire fruit - this allows tiny gaps for the steam to come through.

Step 6

Bake the cobbler for 40 to 45 minutes – the top with be slightly puffy and golden. Let the cobbler rest for at least 30 minutes before cutting into it. Enjoy it with fresh cream poured alongside.

Topping:

2 cups | 270g | 9.5oz all-purpose flour

1/3 cup | 60g | 2oz semolina

1/2 cup | 100g| 3.5oz sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 tablespoons | 57g | 2 ounces cold unsalted butter

Scant 1 cup| 240g | 8.5 oz heavy whipping cream

Filling:

7 to 8 cups of diced pitted peaches

1 tablespoon diced butter

3/4 cup | 150g | 5.5 oz sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup heavy cream for serving alongside cobbler

Notes & Variations

Cobbler works best with semi-ripe to hard peaches. If they are super soft, reduce the sugar. Also, the peaches do not need to be peeled – just cut and dice.
Combine peaches with blackberries, raspberries, or other fruit of your choice like cherries or apples.
It is important to bake the cobbler long enough to let the dough cook correctly so even if it appears golden a little early, leave it in there for at least 40 minutes.

Tags:

120 Min

Stock Your Pantry

Aromatic Masala Dabba

$250

A handmade spice box containing chai masala, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, whole black peppercorns, whole green cardamom pods with a few black cardamom pods, garam masala, mace pods and nutmeg.

Essential Masala Dabba

$235

A handmade spice box containing red chile, turmeric, black pepper, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, amchur and garam masala.

Ghee

$10

Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in ancient India.

Ghee Pot

$40

A solid brass pot with steel lining. Ideal for ghee or other kitchen ingredients.

Tags:

120 Min

Stock Your Pantry

Aromatic Masala Dabba

$250

A handmade spice box containing chai masala, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, whole black peppercorns, whole green cardamom pods with a few black cardamom pods, garam masala, mace pods and nutmeg.

Essential Masala Dabba

$235

A handmade spice box containing red chile, turmeric, black pepper, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, amchur and garam masala.

Ghee

$10

Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in ancient India.

Ghee Pot

$40

A solid brass pot with steel lining. Ideal for ghee or other kitchen ingredients.

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