The Summer Fairy Likes Biscuit-Style Cobbler

Apparently there are different types of cobbler. I grew up with the kind of cobbler that's a goey-sweet mess of blueberries topped with a layer of crispy brown sugar. Kinda like a streudel without that extra bumpy part. And then there's the kind that, to me, was heresy - biscuits sitting on top of that fruit goo. It sounded ridiculous, like some back-country hicks decided to take their leftover biscuits and gravy and throw some fruit under it. No. Thank. You.

Well, a week ago I decided to be a nice coworker. I was going to make a peach cobbler. I've been working my way through The Best Light Recipe cookbook and I thought it was high time to see what their desserts were about. The original recipe calls for blueberries, but there are variations for sour cherry, strawberry, strawberry-rhubarb, apricot, peach, plum, and raspberry/blackberry cobbler. It's nice they thought ahead and tried out the whole produce section. It actually got me thinking that I could make any variation, so after the peach, I bought a couple pounds of good-smelling organic white nectarines. Though the texture got a little slimy, it was goooood. Somehow these biscuits are just the right texture...I'd be happy to bake them alone and eat with gravy any day.


Sweet Biscuits! Peach Cobbler
serves 8

Filling
1 3/4 - 2 pounds fresh peaches, pitted, peeled and sliced (not too thin, but not in quarters...maybe eighths or tenths)
1/4 cup sugar (add a bit more if the peaches aren't sweet)
Pinch of cloves (I used whole, but ground would be better)
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbs. brandy (if you have it)

Biscuit topping
1 cup (5 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tbs. yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup plus 2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
3 tbs. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

For the filling: Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the over to 400 degrees. Toss the fruit filling ingredients together in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. If you don't have this size pan, any casserole dish would do. Place the pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the fruit releases its liquid and is hot and bubbling around the edges, about 20 to 30 minutes.

For the biscuit topping: Meanwhile, whisk the flour, cornmeal, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl; set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, butter, and vanilla together; set aside. In a third bowl, mix the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar with the cinnamon; set aside.

When the filling is ready, stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined and no pockets of flour remain. Remove the cobbler filling from the over and stir. Pinch off 8 equal pieces of the biscuits dough and arrange them on top of the hot filling, spaced 1/2 inch apart. Sprinkle the tops of the biscuits with the cinnamon sugar.

Continue to bake the cobbler until the biscuits are golden brown on top and cooked through and the filling is again hot and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool the cobbler on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.

(recipe and directions taken from Cook's Illustrated's The Best Light Recipes cookbook, with notes and some changes made)

prep time: 30 minutes
cook time: 40 minutes