“A Bowl of Peaches,” by Raphael Peale, ca. 1800
The Peaches.
The secret to making a peach cobbler with fresh peaches is in how you prepare the peaches. For this recipe, you’ll need six large lovely ripe peaches. First, you want to remove the pit—otherwise known as the “stone.” It seems logical to slice the peach open along the groove that runs from the stem to the bottom, but this is incorrect. Instead, take a sharp paring knife and cut the peach around the center, down to the stone. (Think of how the equator divides the globe.) Then, twist the two halves in opposite directions. The stone will come free from one half. Set that aside and repeat with the half in which the stone’s remained, cutting it into quarters. Twist again and the stone will come free.
Next, fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a rapid boil. With a slotted spoon, submerge the peach segments, one or two peaches at a time, for about a minute. By blanching the peaches, the skin will come away from the fruit. Prick the skin with the tines of a fork to test—and don’t overcook the peaches as they will get soft quickly. Plunge the peach segments in a bowl of cold water and when cool enough to handle, scar the skin with a sharp paring knife. The skin will easily peel off. Repeat until all the peaches are skinned.
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Peaches
6 large ripe peaches
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
Toss the peaches in the mixture until evenly coated. Set aside.
Ingredients for Batter
3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
1 -1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3/4 cup of whole milk
Mix all ingredients together evenly.
Instructions
Method
- Set the oven to 350-degrees. Melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a 2-quart baking dish and set in the oven as it preheats.
- After all of the ingredients are prepared, remove the baking dish from the oven.
- Pour the batter into the dish, using a spatula to get all the batter out of the bowl.
- Spoon the peaches evenly on top of the batter and pour the remaining peach liquid over the top.
- Return to oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
To serve:
Serve warm plain or with heavy cream or ice cream.