A peach cobbler is a true classic of American desserts. I strongly associate it with Sunday family dinners which were the only time my mom would pull out all stops to treat us to something delicious and homemade. The peach cobbler was often on the menu for those occasions. In summer, we would serve it with vanilla ice cream on top. The ice cream would melt and drip all over the sides, creating the absolute peach-themed dessert – a combination of juicy peaches with a rich cake and fragrant vanilla ice cream.
The one thing I didn’t know about that peach cobbler at the time was that it was made using a store-bought cake batter mix and canned peaches. And even if I did know that I probably wouldn’t care. Obviously, I didn’t know anything about real foods as a child. And besides, everyone was using convenient cans back then because why wouldn’t they? It’s only now that we are starting to realize the true consequences of those bad eating habits.
That’s why in the recipe below you will not find any canned substitutes. I tried my best to make this peach cobbler as healthy as possible without losing its classic flavor. I replaced canned peaches with soft simmered peaches that I brought fresh from a local health store. And you won’t need any cake mix because I’m going to introduce you to a real simple batter recipe that anyone can do.
I buy a lot of fresh peaches when they are in season. I don’t really like eating them on their own but they are great for desserts! Peach cobblers, peach pies, you name it, they all taste delicious! And when I have a lot of peaches at hand that I know I won’t have the time to use, I will can them and use them up later, when they aren’t in season.
I also find the history of the peach cobbler fascinating! Here’s what you can read on Wikipedia:
“Cobblers originated in the early British American colonies. English settlers were unable to make traditional suet puddings due to lack of suitable ingredients and cooking equipment, so instead covered a stewed filling with a layer of uncooked plain biscuits or dumplings, fitted together. When fully cooked, the surface has the appearance of a cobbled street. The name may also derive from the fact that the ingredients are “cobbled” together.”
I never thought of peach cobbles as looking like a cobbled street but I suppose that it does indeed! And to be honest, I also didn’t know that traditionally, the “batter” (biscuits or dumplings) is supposed to go on top of the beaches. In my home, we always did it the other way around: we would pour in the batter and then put the peaches on top of it. The cake batter covers the peaches as it rises higher and higher.
“In the Deep South, cobblers most commonly come in single fruit varieties and are named as such, such as blackberry, blueberry, and peach cobbler. The Deep South tradition also gives the option of topping the fruit cobbler with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.”
So the addition of ice cream is another regional distinction – another thing I didn’t know about. We put ice cream on top of our peach cobbler but we don’t really have any relatives in the South. I’m not sure where my mother got the idea for that but I’m sure glad that she did! I especially like combining the peach cobbler with my own homemade vanilla ice cream, made with genuine vanilla beans and grass-fed cream and milk.
Necessary equipment:
- a large baking dish
- measuring cups
- a large mixing bowl
- a whisk
- a saucepan
- a wooden spoon
- a large serving spoon
- an ice cream scoop
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of melted grass-fed butter (how to make butter)
peach filling:
- 4 cups of peaches (peeled and sliced)
- 1 cup of whole cane sugar
- 1/2 cup of filtered water
- 1 T. of lemon juice
- 1 t. of cinnamon
- 1 t. of vanilla extract
cake batter:
- 1 cup of freshly ground flour OR sprouted flour (how to make sprouted flour)
- 1 cup of whole cane sugar
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 1 T. of baking powder
- a pinch of sea salt
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Pour the melted butter into your large casserole dish. Or do what I usually do: I place the cold butter in the dish and put in the oven that is now being preheated. The butter melts in five minutes, tops. I then take out the dish and set it aside while I prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Cake batter:
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and sea salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the milk and stir until fully combined.
- Pour the batter into the casserole dish, on top of the melted butter spread on the bottom. Let is spread out in an even layer.
Peach filling:
- Combine the peaches, whole cane sugar, water, lemon juice, cinnamon, and vanilla extract in a saucepan set over medium high heat.
- Simmer for 8 minutes.
- Once ready, pour the peach filling on top of the cake batter.
- Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. You’ll know the cobbler is ready when the batter rises to the top of the peach filling level and becomes nicely browned.
- Take the cobbler out of the oven and let cool for up to 10 minutes so that all the layers set nicely.
- Serve in small bowls with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top!