Demystifying Cobbler
Fruit cobbler, an American summer treat older than the country itself, has captivated my senses since early childhood. When I discovered Peach Cobbler, it was via my elementary school lunches. These meals where often hit or miss and paled in comparison to what I was eating at home, but the cobbler was indeed a triumph. Though peaches are only in season for a short time during summer, they made this treat throughout the year. Though unfortunately, I suspect canned peaches might have been used.
So naturally when summertime came, and we were able to get fresh ripe peaches from our local farm stands, I became curious again. Knowing my mother was always up for a new cooking challenge, I started to pester her to make this “peach cobbler” that I had at school. At last she did so, and brimming with anticipation for this treat I only got during the school year, I waited patiently by the oven. When I saw her pull the finished cobbler from the oven, something about it seemed unfamiliar… and once I was able to truly examine this creation I knew it was not the cobbler I was expecting. I peeped a golden crumbly topping of oats, nuts, butter and sugar. I was too young to know this at the time, but my mother, who was born and raised in the northeast, made what would should be more accurately described as a “crisp.”
It was of course delicious (especially served with vanilla ice cream) but I was slightly crestfallen, as this was not the dessert I’d anticipated. A year later I’d try my luck again, and asked my mother once more for peach cobbler. Insisting that she try a different recipe, and privately hoping that she might’ve just had a lapse in judgement in choosing the correct one the first time. Once again though, out of the oven came the “cobbler” almost identical to the one from the previous year. She saw my disappointment and when asked what was wrong with it and I said “It’s good but is there a different cobbler you can try? This isn’t like the one at school..” She resented my comment, and the peach “cobbler” was never again reprised in our home.
Years later when I was in college and just starting on my culinary journey, my friend and I decided on a hot summer day to prepare a “cookout’ style dinner. We collaborated on the menu- I, making mix of classic American and Italian summer salads, and her contributing some soul food selections. She suggested peach cobbler for dessert and I was overjoyed to try someone els’ recipe having long ago given up the search for the beloved cobbler of my childhood. I watched closely as she assembled it and then when she made the topping (without measuring of course) I asked her what kind of dough she was using. She laughed and said “I don’t know it’s just dough.”
We got to talking while the cobbler was baking, and together we finally solved the puzzle. Many southern style cobblers are made with a sweetened classic drop biscuit topping, and up north its made with a crisp or crumble topping, but strangely, both are still called cobbler? This confusing regional nomenclature comes as no surprise as Americans often have drastically different styles of cooking the same dish depending on from where they hail- for example Miss Edna Lewis (my favorite reference for southern cooking) gives her recipe for “Virginia Style” peach cobbler that involves a bottom crust of pastry in a deep dish and a top crust of lattice with bits of left over crust thrown in to make dumplings. Different yet from both a crumble or biscuit!
Meanwhile back in my basement apartment in Boston, here I was, yet again waiting by the oven with the greatest anticipation. This time though, when the cobbler came out of the oven I was combelling! THIS was the peach cobbler I had wanted all along, big rounds of fluffy biscuit-like topping submerged in the smoldering fruit. At last, after all this time I’d found it.
There is of course, no right or wrong recipe, only tradition. So now a decade later, I will never let a summer pass without making at least one peach cobbler in the style I first experienced it when I was a little boy. I’ve adapted it to my own tastes, and you may find it is slightly less sweet than what is custom so make sure your peaches are the peak of ripeness!
Recipe
Source 8-10 medium to large peaches (make sure they are ripe enough but not overripe, otherwise the skins will be difficult to peel and they will disintegrate when cooked) slice and set aside in a large bowl. Add one teaspoon of vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon of fresh grated nutmeg, 1/4 cup of sugar, the juice of 1/2 a small lemon, and 3-4 tablespoons of cornstarch or flour. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Make the biscuit topping by cutting one stick (8tbs) of butter into two inch
cubes and put to chill in the freezer. In the meantime, sift together two cups flour, one tablespoon of baking powder, and one teaspoon salt. Add the butter, and with a pastry cutter, large fork, or your hands, cut in the butter until the pieces are diminished to the size of a pea.
Have ready one cup of buttermilk or cream and add quickly ¾- 1 cup to start, taking care to drizzle it evenly over the mixture. Working as quickly as possible, with a wooden spoon gently turn the mixture a few times, until just barely holding together (do not over-mix.) If you find a few dry spots in the dough, use the last ¼ cup of milk or cream to moisten. The dough should look very crumply and textured but not dry.
Coat the bottom and sides of a large cast iron skillet or glass baking dish with butter. Pour in the peach mixture and spoon the dough in big wide scoops all over the top to form a kind of crust. Sprinkle with course sugar and bake at 450 for 25-30 min until crust is deeply golden and slightly browned. The tips of the dough should have taken a good deal of color which will indicate that the dough beneath is fully cooked. Allow to cool for 20-30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or alone.