Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Peach Filling
- 1000 g peaches, peeled and thickly sliced
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 50 g light brown sugar, packed
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 15 g cornstarch
- 2 g ground cinnamon
- 1 g ground nutmeg
- 1 g kosher salt
Biscuit Topping
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 10 g baking powder
- 3 g kosher salt
- 115 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 180 ml buttermilk, cold
- 15 g turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 388 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 66 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 38 g
- Sodium
- 364 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 32 mg
- Potassium
- 321 mg
- Calcium
- 124 mg
- Iron
- 0.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 22 mg
- Phosphorus
- 111 mg
- Zinc
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 122 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 9 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.09 mg
- Niacin
- 1.4 mg
- Folate
- 15 mcg
- Water
- 140 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F. Lightly grease a large baking dish.
In a large mixing bowl, toss the sliced peaches with granulated sugar, brown sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and kosher salt until the fruit is evenly coated.
Transfer the peach filling to the prepared baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes to help the fruit start releasing its juices and to initiate the thickening process.
While the peaches par-bake, prepare the topping. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt.
Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
Pour the cold buttermilk into the flour and butter mixture. Use a spatula to gently fold the ingredients together just until a shaggy dough forms. Stop mixing as soon as no dry flour remains.
Remove the par-baked peaches from the oven. Using a spoon, drop rustic mounds of the biscuit dough evenly over the hot peach filling. Sprinkle the tops of the dough generously with turbinado sugar.
Return the baking dish to the oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the biscuit topping is golden brown and the peach juices are thick and bubbling vigorously around the edges.
Remove the cobbler from the oven and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. This cooling time allows the boiling juices to thicken properly.
Chef's Notes
- Keep your butter and buttermilk ice cold. The rapid expansion of steam released from the cold butter hitting the hot oven creates the flaky layers and tender crumb in the biscuit topping.
- If using frozen peaches, thaw them completely and drain off about half of the excess liquid to prevent a watery filling.
- For extra depth of flavor, add 15ml of bourbon or 5ml of vanilla extract to the peach filling before par-baking.
- The 10-minute par-baking step for the peaches is crucial. It ensures the fruit becomes tender and the cornstarch activates properly without requiring the biscuit topping to overbake and dry out.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store covered. The biscuit topping will soften over time.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze unbaked or baked. If baked, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175C/350F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until warmed through and the topping is crisped.
Troubleshooting
Runny or watery peach filling
Cause: The cornstarch did not reach the boiling point needed to activate, or the peaches were exceptionally juicy and required more thickener.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once cooled. Serve the fruit and biscuits with a slotted spoon over vanilla ice cream.
Prevention: Ensure the filling is bubbling vigorously in the very center of the baking dish before removing from the oven. If using frozen peaches, drain excess liquid.
Tough, dense biscuit topping
Cause: The dough was overmixed, activating too much gluten, or the butter warmed up before baking.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Handle the dough as little as possible and ensure the butter and buttermilk are ice cold when added.
Cultural Context
Cobblers originated in the British American colonies when settlers lacked traditional pie ingredients and baking equipment. They improvised by covering preserved or fresh fruit with dollops of biscuit dough, which baked up looking like a rough, cobbled street. Today, peach cobbler is a hallmark of Southern American cuisine, traditionally served warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream during peak summer peach season.
