Pace Peach Cobbler

Cheap Eat Challenge, Part 2: Watch as our family of 6 eats on $10/day.

The only sad thing about this cobbler is that I failed to take even one single decent final picture. This may have something to do with the fact that it was made and muchly consumed while my sister and her kids were here. Of course this was a lot of fun, but it didn't leave a whole lot of extra time or, um, counter space. Truth be told, the colorful nude peaches are more of a centerfold beauty than the finished product anyway.

Cobbler and the lovers thereof fall into 2 distinct groups. One group likes a biscuit-y cobbler. I expect that this is the more traditional of the two--a simple sweet biscuit batter atop lovely ripe peaches. I won't turn this down if you offer it to me, but I admit that I am more in the 2nd camp of cobbler aficionados--that of the cake-y cobblers. These have peaches (or, you know, whatever fruit you wish) topped with a batter that is slightly sweeter and wetter--one much more like cake batter. The problem with being in this second camp is that cake-y cobblers are much much too often made with a cake mix. And, not to be an annoying food snob or anything, but you have to work really hard to get me to like a recipe made with a cake mix. Oh, they exist. But they are very few and very far between. And they don't include cobblers.

And so it is fortunate that I married into Kip's family because they make the most wonderful from scratch cake-y cobblers in the world. I first discovered this when Kip and I were dating and I went to his sister's house for dinner. She served this cobbler and, oh, it was some kind of wonderful. And then after Kip and I were married his mom brought a bunch of right on ripe peaches from their tree and we made this cobbler with them. If you have peaches that are so ripe they will be overripe tomorrow, this recipe will take you to cobbler nirvana. If not, don't despair because this can be made with any peaches, including frozen ones and even some good canned ones (although I highly recommend fresh, ripe ones).

As if from-scratch cake-y goodness isn't good enough, this cobbler also has a sugary glaze on top. Yes sir, it does.

Pace Peach Cobbler
make 8x8 inch pan
prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 45-60 minutes
Cost: $1.68
(peaches: 1.00, butter: .21, flour: .14, milk: .08, sugar: .25)

2-3 C peaches, peeled and sliced (line the bottom of your pan and then pile them higher if your like your cobbler nice and fruity)

Batter:

3 Tbsp butter
1 tsp baking powder
1 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C sugar
dash salt
1/2 C milk

Glaze:

3/4 C sugar
3/4 C boiling water

Directions:
Layer peaches on the bottom of an 8x8 inch pan.

To make the batter:
Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter with a food processor, pastry blender, or by mushing it in with your fingers. Alternately you can just whip out the beaters and blend it in that way. Add milk and mix briefly.

You can see here that it will be slightly wetter than a biscuit dough:

Plop the batter over the peaches and spread it out with a knife or spatula.

Sprinkle the remaining 3/4 C sugar over this and then slowly pour the boiling water over the whole thing.

Put in oven and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes. When it's done it should be golden on top and when you stick a fork (or cake tester for the more refined) in, it should come out with a few moist crumbs. You don't want it dough-y, but you don't want it dry either.

I like it best warm with ice cream. (Whipped cream works too. As does eating it cold out of the pan, not that I would ever do such a thing.)

PRINTABLE RECIPE

I've linked this and my crepes to Sweets for a Saturday.