Fresh Peach Cobbler

This fresh peach cobbler from Cook’s Illustrated was calling my name the second I read the recipe. I liked the way they handled the peaches & their juice to prevent the cobbler from becoming a big mushy mess. I also really loved that you cook the fruit for a bit so when you add the biscuit dough to the top of the HOT fruit it will start cooking the bottom of the biscuit instead of them turning out doughy and soggy. I adapted the recipe a little by using buttermilk instead of whole milk yogurt to the biscuit dough because it’s what I had on hand. I also added a touch of cinnamon to the dough because I think it pairs beautifully with peaches. The cobbler was a fun recipe to make and it paired nicely with vanilla ice cream. This fresh peach cobbler put big smiles on all of our faces–especially mine. YUM! This recipe would be a nice treat for Father’s Day this coming Sunday.

How to Make Fresh Peach Cobbler

Make the filling by peeling the peaches then halve and pit each. Using a spoon, scoop out and discard the dark flesh from the pit area from the halves. Cut each peach half into 4 wedges and place in a bowl.

Gently toss the peaches with the sugar; let stand for 30 minutes, tossing several times.

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

After 30 minutes, drain the peaches in a colander set over a large bowl. Whisk 1/4 cup of the drained juice (discard the remaining juice), the cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt together until well combined. Toss the peach juice mixture with the peach slices and transfer to an 8-inch baking dish.

Bake until the peaches begin to bubble around the edges, about 10 minutes.

Make the biscuit topping while the peaches are baking. In a food processor pulse the flour, 3 tablespoons of sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to combine. Scatter the diced butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, about ten 1-second pulses.

Transfer to a bowl; add the buttermilk and toss with a rubber spatula until a cohesive dough is formed. Don’t overmix the dough or the biscuits will be tough! Break the dough into 6-7 evenly sized but roughly shaped mounds and set aside.

Assemble the cobbler when the peaches have finished baking for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the dough mounds on top, spacing them at least 1/2 inch apart. Sprinkle each portion with the remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar evenly.

Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Cool the cobbler on a wire rack for about 20 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy.