Sunday, July 13, 2008

Peach Cobbler...

...or any juicy summer fruit cobbler. And want to know a naughty little secret? When fresh fruit isn't in season, use a good quality frozen fruit* for an 'almost as nice' result.
*(unsweetened, and don't thaw before placing cobbler in the oven)


Begin by heating the oven to 450F° (230 C). Next prepare your fruit of choice. We like tart cherries, or peaches, or a mixture of berries, or peaches with blackberries, or... How much fruit? I would suggest at least 4 cups, but I tend to just prepare enough to generously fill the pie dish I use. I measured one cup of sliced peaches as being equal to 160 g., so metric-ly speaking that would be about 640 g. of peaches. Peel, or not -- your choice. Sweeten with sugar -- the riper and sweeter the fruit, the less sugar you will need to use. In general you would use from 1/2 cup (100 g) to 1 cup (200 g). I like to also add about 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) of cornstarch to the fruit. Really fresh, just picked fruit tends to be very juicy, and this helps thicken the juice just a bit. If you like (and I do) add a small amount of cinnamon -- about 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) -- just enough to add a depth of flavor without overpowering the fruit. Mix it all together, put it in your favorite baking dish and top with a few small dabs of butter (yes, the real stuff!).


For the biscuit dough topping:
  • 2 cups (280 g) flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
  • 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) baking powder
  • 5 Tablespoons (70 g) butter
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup (170 ml) milk

Combine the first four (dry) ingredients and mix thoroughly. Next, cut in the butter, using a pastry blending tool or two knives. Mix together the milk and egg, then add to the flour/butter mixture. Don't over mix, but when it nicely combined, mound it over your previously prepared fruit.


Spread the batter in a nice, even layer over the fruit, but not to the very edge -- leave about a 1/2 inch (1 -2 cm) margin or so all around. To prevent juice spillover while baking it's helpful to place your baking dish on a cookie sheet, or have a large piece of foil beneath the dish.


Bake at 450° (230C) for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350° (180C) and bake for another 25 - 30 minutes. If you think the top is becoming too brown, try placing a sheet of foil loosely over the top to shield it, but you need to give the biscuit topping time to cook through.


Serve warm, and enjoy! If you like to gild the lily, you could serve with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream, or some such, but it's quite tasty on its own.

1 comment:

Mary Sarah said...

This looks and sounds amazing! I'll have to give it a try very soon! Yum!