Peach Berry Cobbler

Fruit cobblers might be my favorite dessert to make and eat. They are endlessly variable; use your favorite in season fruit for optimal deliciousness. Since it is summer, I opted for peaches, raspberries and blackberries. I love the jet black of the blackberries contrasting with the vivid red of the raspberries and orange glow of the peaches. I don’t bother peeling the peaches; the peels do not alter the texture for me and the skins enhance the color of the fruit.

Cobblers are very easy to put together because the batter itself is simplicity itself to make; very few ingredients and just a few steps. I like using self-rising flour because it allows me maximum laziness, but feel free to use all-purpose; don’t forget to whisk in 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

I owe a lot of this recipe to Chef John of Food Wishes, particularly his ingenuous way of getting a crisp sugar topping. Cover the whole of the cobbler with sugar generously, then spritz with water until the sugar is completely and thoroughly wet. The wet sugar will crisp up as a solid sheet of sugar ice on top of the cobbler batter as it bakes. It adds sweetness and crunch to the dish, plus a very attractive sheen.

I like to serve this warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting creamily over the top. Try this classic summer dessert soon!

Ingredients:

6 large peaches, cut into 8ths

12 ounces raspberries

8 ounces blackberries

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 stick of softened butter

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

1 1/14 cup sugar

1 1/3 cups self rising flour

1/3 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup whole milk

sugar topping:

1/4 cup sugar

cold water spritzed generously on the top

Method:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter a 10 inch cast iron skillet and set aside.

Cut the peaches into 8ths; you may leave them unpeeled. Toss with the berries, lemon juice and zest and place into the buttered cast iron skillet.

Cream together the softened butter, vanilla bean paste and sugar. Add in the flour and rolled oats, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the milk a little at a time, until you achieve a thick batter.

Using a spatula, spread the batter on top of the fruits. Sprinkle over a thick layer of sugar, then spray that sugar with water until thoroughly dampened.

Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Enjoy with vanilla ice cream!

Comments

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