Mimi’s Recipe Box - Peach Cobbler

Thank goodness we have cobblers. Without them, our feet would be sore, blistered, and grimy. And in the summer, we wouldn’t have the exquisite, yet simple, peach cobbler.
You wouldn’t think there was a connection between the art of making shoes and the art of making fruit-filled desserts, but there is. “To cobble” means to roughly piece or patch things together, like shoemakers do. And like European settlers did in the early days of America. Lacking proper baking equipment, when they wanted to make a pie, they dropped thick, irregular pieces of biscuit dough over stewed fruit rather than rolling out smooth, flat pie crusts.

And lo, the peach cobbler was born.

Thank goodness, because peach cobbler is my personal favorite dessert of all time. I always await the box of fresh peaches that “The Peach Truck” brings to us Northerners every June. A truckload of fresh peaches arrived in Troy a week or so ago, and there was a lineup of folks picking up their orders. I was definitely there for my box.
Long before there was a Peach Truck, I remember traveling to Kentucky every summer to visit my grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins in a small town outside Louisville. After fun times with the family, we would often buy a bushel of peaches at a roadside stand on our way home. I remember my mom feeding my dad a peach, skin and all, as he drove us through the countryside back to Ohio. Not fans of the fuzzy skin, my sister and I waited until we were home to dig into that juicy goodness.

As soon as we were settled at home, dog retrieved from the kennel, and suitcases unpacked, our cries began. “Are you going to make a peach cobbler tonight? Why not? Aww. Do you promise to make one tomorrow?” And Mom always did. It would be our lunch the next day, warm from the oven, perfectly enhanced with melting vanilla ice cream.
The Peach Truck will be coming again, don’t worry. And if you don’t order a box ahead of time, they usually bring extras. Stock up on ice cream, and make yourself a cobbler.

Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

Filling:
3 lbs. peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/4” slices
2 T. Lemon juice, from 1 lemon
2/3 c. Sugar
2 T. Cornstarch
1/2 t. Vanilla
1/8 t. Salt
Topping:
3/4 c. Packed dark brown sugar
3/4 c. All-purpose flour
1/2 c. Old-fashioned rolled oats
2/3 c. Pecans, chopped
1 t. Cinnamon
1/4 t. Nutmeg
1/4 t. Salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened (or use salted butter and omit the ¼ t. salt)
For serving:

Vanilla ice cream
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Set rack in middle position. Butter a 2-quart baking dish.
Make the filling: in a large bowl, combine the filling ingredients. Mix well to coat the peaches evenly.
Make the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, mix the brown sugar, flour, oats, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, using your fingers to break up any lumps of brown sugar. Add the soft butter and mix with a spoon, or your hands, until the mixture is crumbly.
Transfer the peaches to the baking dish and press into an even layer. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top. Bake the crisp for 40-45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Top with vanilla ice cream and serve.