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Peach Cobbler

Southern peach cobbler is a nostalgic recipe for me. My grandmother, Meemee, made the best peach cobbler every time.  When the peach season came around, I couldn’t wait to go to my grandparent’s house. I knew cobbler would be on the menu over the weekend.

I carry on the family tradition of the southern peach cobbler in my home. My boys get excited like I did when they see the peaches. We usually go peach picking in the early summer, or I order 40 pounds from the Peach Truck. I process the peaches by canning, drying, and freezing.

What kind of peaches should you use to make cobbler?

I love cobbler because you can use fruit in many forms. You can plan or be spur of the moment and pull off a fabulous dessert. Keep a few cans of peaches in heavy syrup in your pantry to always have supplies ready. I use peaches that I have frozen ahead of time. The peaches I use from the freezer have about 1/4 cup of sugar. I freeze them in 2-cup quantities, ready for a recipe. Otherwise, 4 to 5 fresh peaches will do the trick, and then I mix them with a can of sliced peaches in heavy syrup.

Should you peel peaches for cobblers?

Yes, the peach cobbler will be best if you peel the peaches first. Sometimes peels can have a tart flavor or be tough. It is best to go ahead and peel peaches for the cobbler.

Recipe

4 -5 peaches, peeled, cored and sliced

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 stick of butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup of sugar

3/4 cups of milk

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the stick of butter in a 9×13 inch baking dish in the oven. Once melted, remove the pan from the oven.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the milk and vanilla extract just until combined. Pour the mixture into the pan, on top of the melted butter. Make an even layer.

Spoon the peaches and juice (or canned peaches) over the batter. My grandmother would put one peach pit right in the middle. She says it was her secret ingredient. Remove the pit when serving.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 38-40 minutes. The crust should be golden brown, and the edges look crispy. Serve warm, with a scoop of ice cream, if desired.

To substitute canned peaches, use two cans of peaches but the juice from one can. If you have canned peaches in syrup, use 1 quart. Stirring in peach jam works too.

History of peach cobbler

American settlers heading west were a little lonesome for peach pie on the trail, so the story goes. They stew the peaches and then plop the biscuit dough on top to create a sweet treat. Supplies would have been scarce, and biscuits were mostly available ingredients.

I imagine Florida crackers were the same way. Supplies were scarce, especially during the Civil War. Coming up with a sweet treat, you had to be creative with what you had. Cobblers can be made with any fruit. It can even be made in an iron skillet over a fire. I suspect many families’ desserts were peach cobbler and any fruit in the season.

Family traditions

Many family traditions are centered around food. Food has a memory. Eating particular food brings back memories of places, people, and events. Passing down those recipes is essential to carry on traditions. I enjoy the digital age but still keep a handwritten recipe book for my boys.

Meemee’s southern peach cobbler will hopefully live on for generations. Make this recipe your own and share it with your family for years.