Simple and classic peach cobbler

peach cobbler
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It’s been a couple years since I made any kind of fruit cobbler. So when we were faced with a fridge overflowing with beautiful Red Haven peaches, I knew it was time. Cobblers exist in many forms; this is the good-old fashioned biscuit-topped style. Both the biscuits and fruit are lightly sweetened so you can enjoy it with a big scoop of ice cream, as God intended.

I usually make cobblers / crumbles / crisps when I crave a fruit-forward dessert but don’t have the time or energy to commit to a pie. To that end, I pack a pie’s worth of fruit into this peach cobbler — two whole pounds, weighed after pitting. My favorite peaches to bake with are ripe but firm — soft ones will turn to mush, and I like my filling to still retain a little bite. Save the extra juicy ones to eat over the sink.

Oh yeah — I don’t peel the peaches. You can if you want, but the skins don’t bother me. I don’t find them leathery or tough, especially after they cook down. If anything, the skins add some welcome texture and more vibrant color. Just make sure to scrub them clean before slicing into wedges.

I also take the speedy approach to biscuits and just chop them into square-ish pieces with a knife. No wastage, no re-patting dough together. Fast, easy, homey is the name of the game here. So enough talking; let’s make some peach cobbler.

peach cobbler pre-bake
peach cobbler side view

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Baker’s notes:

  • You know I love some whole grain flour in my fruity bakes; this time I used spelt in the biscuits. Feel free to sub in something like einkorn, kamut, or whole wheat here; or use more all-purpose if you don’t have whole-grain on hand.
  • Feel free to sub in other fruits for the peaches. Berries, nectarines, plums would all be beautiful here without need for adjustment. If your fruits are particularly juicy you might want to add a little more cornstarch; but cobbler filling needn’t be too set — I prefer it a little runny so it’ll soak into the biscuits better.

Simple and classic peach cobbler

Serves 8

Ingredients:

For the biscuits:
  • 175g all-purpose flour
  • 40g spelt flour (or substitute more all-purpose)
  • 40g granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
  • 86g (6T) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 80g buttermilk, cold (regular milk should work here too)
  • 80g heavy cream, cold, plus more for brushing
  • Turbinado or coarse sugar, for garnish
For the peach filling:
  • 900g (~2 lbs) firm but ripe peaches, cut into eighths (weighed after pitting)
  • 50g light brown sugar
  • A pinch each of kosher salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger
  • 15g (2T) cornstarch 
  • Juice of 1/2 a medium lemon

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400F with a rack in the middle.

Start by making the biscuit dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Scatter the cold butter pieces over the top and, using your fingers or a pastry blender, cut it into the flour mixture until the butter pieces are roughly the size of peas.

Whisk together the buttermilk and cream. Drizzle the mixture over the top of the dry ingredients and gently fold it into the flour mixture using a fork or flexible spatula. Continue to fold the dough onto itself a few times, just until the dough holds together but is still a bit shaggy with a few dry spots. If the dough seems overly dry and won’t come together, drizzle in extra buttermilk or cream 1 tsp at a time, just until it forms a rough mass. Do not overwork the dough.

Turn the dough onto a piece of parchment paper and fold it gently a few times until cohesive. Use your hands to pat it into a rectangle about 1-inch (2.5-cm) thick. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the dough into quarters. Stack the pieces on top of each other, sandwiching any stray floury bits between the layers, then pat into a rectangle about an inch thick. Slide the dough still on the parchment onto a sheet tray or plate and refrigerate until well-chilled, about 20 minutes (or up to 2 hours — if longer than 20 minutes, cover with plastic wrap).

While the dough is chilling, prepare the peach filling. Place the peach wedges in a large bowl. Whisk together the sugar, spices, salt, and cornstarch and pour over the peaches. Squeeze the lemon juice over the top. Gently stir to combine. Scrape the filling into a 2-quart ovenproof dish (I used an 11×7 oval casserole similar to this Staub one).

Remove the biscuit dough from the fridge. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 square-ish pieces. Arrange the biscuits on top of the peaches, leaving at least an inch between pieces. Brush the tops with cream and sprinkle generously (I mean it, don’t be stingy) with coarse sugar.

Bake until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is bubbling vigorously, about 30-40 minutes. If the biscuits are browning too quickly, tent with foil partway through baking. Let cobbler cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. Cobbler is best served the day it’s baked (preferably still a little warm), but leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Rewarm before serving.

Related recipes:

peach cobbler with ice cream

Buckwheat Plum Berry Crumble

This post is sponsored by Weight Watchers Canada. Find out more about the WW Freestyle program, which encourages the freedom to eat the foods you love while nudging you towards healthier choices using the SmartPoints system. As always, all ideas and opinions expressed here are my own.

I love a good rustic fruit dessert. Galettes, crisps, crumbles, pies — yes, please and thank you, to all of them. Homey and unfussy, they’re the kind of thing you want on a summer evening after a casual cookout with good people — a la mode, of course.

If you’ve been around these parts long, you probably know I like incorporating whole grains into baked goods when I can — not just for added health benefits but also for flavor! The nutty, toasty tones of whole grains pair especially well with fruit and give simple crumbles such as this one extra depth. In this plum berry crumble I’ve used buckwheat and oats; but you could easily substitute spelt, kamut, rye, or whole wheat if that’s what you have on hand. If whole grains aren’t your thing you can use all AP, but I encourage you to try some new flours if you have the opportunity! It really opens up a whole new world of flavors.

This crumble is very adaptable — substitute whatever fresh summer fruit you have on hand. You can also make the topping ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer — a great thing to have on hand for impromptu BBQs. And this is quite wonderful cold from the fridge with a bit of yogurt, should you want this to double as breakfast. (I always do.)

crumble a la mode

Buckwheat Plum Berry Crumble

Serves 9

Ingredients

For the buckwheat crumble:

  • 40g buckwheat flour
  • 80g AP flour
  • 30g rolled oats
  • 40g walnuts, chopped
  • 50g light brown sugar
  • 25g turbinado sugar
  • 1.5 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 100g cubed, unsalted butter, room temperature

For the plum berry filling:

  • 3 c plums, chopped
  • 3 c mixed berries, chopped if large
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 2-3 Tbsp arrowroot starch (Use 3 if your fruit is particularly juicy or if you have a large proportion of strawberries)
  • 50g granulated sugar (or to taste)
  • A few turns of black pepper
  • Pinch of salt

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and lightly grease an 8×8 pan or 9-inch pie plate.
  2. First, make the crumble. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Add the cubed butter and, using your fingers, rub it into the dry ingredients until crumbs form. The crumbs shouldn’t be uniform in size — a variety of large and small pieces are good to have. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling (topping can be refrigerated for several days, or frozen for longer storage).
  3. Combine the fruit in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and stir gently to combine. Whisk together the remaining ingredients, pour over the fruit, and stir gently to combine. Scrape filling into prepared pan.
  4. Sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly over the fruit, squeezing some of it together to form larger pieces so you have a nice variety of crumb sizes.
  5. Bake until the filling is bubbling, 35-45 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Cherry Berry Almond Crumble

cherry berry almond crumble

Every summer I tend to have a fall-back dessert: something quick and simple that can easily be adapted to whatever fresh fruit is hanging out in the fridge. Previously there’s been cobbler and fruit crumb bars; and this year it’s a good old fashioned crumble.

cherries

It’s about as unfussy and simple as it gets: toss fruit with a little sugar and spice, and mix up a quick, buttery crumb to sprinkle on top. No softening of butter or mixer needed. Eat with yogurt for breakfast or ice cream for dessert, warm or cold. Repeat.

cherry berry almond crumble 2

Cherry Berry Almond Crumble

Makes one 8×8 pan

Ingredients

For the filling:

  • ~6 c cherries and/or berries, pitted and sliced/halved if necessary (I used equal parts sour cherries, sweet cherries, and strawberries)
  • 60-100g / 1/3-1/2 c sugar, depending on sweetness of fruit and preferably a mix of brown and granulated
  • Pinch of salt
  • Dash of vanilla extract
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon or lime
  • 3 Tbsp arrowroot or tapioca starch

For the almond crumble:

  • 120g / 1 c AP flour
  • 4T almond flour
  • 113g / 8 Tbsp butter, cold and diced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 50g / 1/4 c brown sugar
  • 25g / scant 2 Tbsp granulated sugar

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 375F.
  2. Stir together all filling ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside while you prepare the crumble.
  3. In another medium bowl, whisk together all crumble ingredients except for the butter. Add the butter and, using your fingers, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture begins forming crumbs. Squeeze the mixture together to form large clumps.
  4. Pour the filling into an 8×8 square pan. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the top.
    Bake until the filling is bubbling and the top is golden brown, about 35-45 minutes. Allow to cool for about an hour before serving, if you can.

Berry Mascarpone Tart with Almond Crumble

berry mascarpone tart with hand

I’ve been making a lot of tarts lately, partially because all my pie plates are currently packed away in preparation for our move in a couple weeks — but also because they’re just so fun, elegant, and easy. Tarts are a good vehicle for using up those bits of leftover curd, fruit, jam, etc. in the fridge. This berry mascarpone tart was no exception. I had a little bit of mascarpone left over from all the wedding cake adventures earlier this month, so I added it to some pastry cream and it was soooo good! Creamy but not too heavy and perfect with some fresh berries — basically, an ideal summer dessert.

The tart crust is similar to the one I posted a couple weeks ago, though the proportions are courtesy of Pierre Herme. A little almond flour adds wonderful flavor and slightly crisper texture. I prepared the crust the same way I did the last (mixing in food processor, rolling out right after mixing and freezing the dough in the pan before baking), and it worked like a charm. To add a little texture I mixed up a little almond crumble, because crumbs just make everything better.

One last thing: if you’ve enjoyed reading Cook Til Delicious this year, would you consider nominating it for a Saveur Blog Award? You can nominate for any category you think appropriate, though I’d love votes for Best Baking & Sweets Blog (use URL https://cooktildelicious.com) or Best Food Instagram (http://www.instagram.com/rushyama). Your support really means a lot to me. Thank you!

berry mascarpone tart no crumb

berry mascarpone tart

Berry Mascarpone Tart with Almond Crumble

Makes one 9-inch tart

Ingredients

For the Almond Pate Sucree (makes enough for 2 tart shells):
Adapted from Pierre Herme

  • 245g AP flour
  • 75g icing sugar
  • 50g almond flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 143g unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature

For the Mascarpone Cream:
Adapted from Bake from Scratch

  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 55g / 1/4 c firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 24g / 3 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 169g / 3/4 c mascarpone cheese, room temperature

For the Almond Crumble:
Adapted from Ottolenghi

  • 50g raw almonds, roughly chopped
  • 25g cold unsalted butter, diced
  • 38g flour (AP or whole wheat, or a mix of the two)
  • 25g brown sugar
  • Pinch of salt

To finish:

  • 454g / 1 lb mixed fresh berries

Method

For the Almond Pate Sucree:

  1. Place the flour, icing sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.
  2. Scatter the butter over the top of the flour mixture. Pulse several times until the butter is cut in (you want irregular pieces ranging in size from a pea to a quarter).
  3. Whisk the egg and vanilla together lightly to combine. Add the egg mixture in stages, pulsing after each addition. Once the egg is added, pulse in 10 second increments until the dough forms clumps (you don’t want it completely smooth). Once the dough reaches this stage, dump it onto a clean countertop or silpat and gently knead until the dough comes together. Divide the dough into two equal portions and reserve one for a future tart (well-wrapped, you can refrigerate it for a couple days, or freeze for a month). Place the remaining piece of dough between two Silpats (or pieces of plastic wrap) and roll it out into a roughly 12-inch circle of about a 1/4″ thickness. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
  4. Lightly grease a 9-inch tart tin. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and let it stand for about 5 minutes, just to make it pliable. Turn dough into the tart tin and trim the overhang to about 1/2 an inch. Fold the overhang in to reinforce the edges. If there are any tears or cracks, use some of the extra dough to patch it up. Pierce the dough all over with a fork, then wrap in plastic and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
  5. Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a piece of foil and fit it firmly over the chilled tart dough. Put the tart tin on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil (if the crust has risen at all press it down gently with the back of a spoon). If any cracks have formed, use some of the reserved dough to patch it. Bake crust for another 5-10 minutes, or until firm and golden brown. Allow to cool completely before filling.

For the Mascarpone Cream:

  1. Place the mascarpone in a medium bowl and set a fine mesh strainer over it.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, egg yolk, and sugar together until smooth. Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously to combine (ensure there are no lumps!).
  3. In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until just at the boil. Remove from heat; and slowly but steadily pour it into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. When all the milk has been added, pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and return to medium-low heat, still whisking constantly. Once the mixture thickens and begins to bubble, cook the mixture for a minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. You now have pastry cream!
  4. Scrape the pastry cream into the strainer onto the mascarpone, pushing it through with a spatula or spoon. Let the mixture stand for ~30 seconds, then whisk to combine. Cover the mascarpone cream with plastic, making sure the plastic touches the surface of the cream so a skin doesn’t form. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 1/2 an hour before using.

For the Almond Crumble:

  1. Preheat oven to 300F and line a small baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.
  2. Combine the almonds and flour in a small bowl. Add the butter and rub it in with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the sugar and salt.
  3. Pour the mixture into a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown, stirring every 5 minutes to ensure even baking.

To assemble:

  • Whisk the mascarpone cream until smooth and spreadable. Using an offset spatula, spread the mascarpone cream evenly in the tart shell. Top with fresh berries and crumble. Serve chilled with additional crumble on the side. Best served within a day of assembling, but leftovers keep pretty well in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

cobblerOne of my favorite parts of spring is the opening of local farmer’s markets. We have two near our house, one of which started up a couple weeks ago. Last week rhubarb was for sale, and I bought some not quite knowing what I’d do with it. After perusing our fridge contents — part of a tub of sour cream, strawberries, butter, half a lemon — I settled on a cobbler with a sour cream biscuit topping. It was a lovely sweet-tart spring dessert, perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Serves 6-8

Topping Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ pieces (I like to cut butter into pieces and freeze for about 1/2 an hour before making dough)
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sour cream

Filling Ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 cups (about 1 1/2 pounds, untrimmed) rhubarb, in 1/2-inch thick slices
  • 3 1/2 cups (about 1 pound) strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light or dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca

Method

Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter; using your fingertips, incorporate until only pea-size lumps remain. Gently mix in sour cream. Knead in bowl until a biscuit-like dough forms, 5-7 turns (do not overmix).

Stir together filling ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into an 9-inch pie dish or divide among six 6-ounce ramekins. Tear biscuit topping into quarter-size crumbles; scatter over fruit.

Bake cobbler until juices are thick and bubbling and topping is cooked through and deep golden brown, 20-25 minutes for ramekins or 45-50 minutes for pie dish. Let cool for at least 1 hour.