Easy Homemade Peach Cobbler

A serving of Homemade Peach Cobbler on a white plate served a la mode style.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: African American, North American, Soul Food

Keyword: cobbler, Peach

Prep Time: 35

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 1 25

Servings:

Calories: 373kcal

Author: Marta Rivera

This old-fashioned peach cobbler recipe is made with fresh peaches tossed in a brown sugar and bourbon mixture and baked until bubbly beneath a homemade buttery dough.

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Equipment

9" x 13" baking dish
rolling pin

Ingredients

For the Peach Filling

7 large (4 pounds or 1 kilo) peaches peeled, pitted, and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 cup, packed (210 grams) light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon (1g) kosher salt
1/2 cup (75grams) cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon (1 gram) ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger optional
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) bourbon (or vanilla extract)
1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) vanilla extract

Cobbler Dough

1 1/2 cup (190 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons (7 grams) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) kosher salt
4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter very cold
1 cup (240 milliliters) heavy cream very cold

Cinnamon-Sugar Topping

4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter melted and cooled
1 1/2 tablespoons (18 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon

Optional Serving Suggestions

sweetened whipped cream
vanilla frozen custard

Instructions

Macerate the Peaches (for 15 minutes)

Add the peach slices to a large bowl along with the brown sugar and the kosher salt.
Toss these together to evenly coat the peach slices. Allow the peaches to macerate at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Prepare the Cobbler Dough

While the peaches macerate, sift or toss the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt together in a medium bowl.
Grate the still-cold butter on top of the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl.
Toss and pinch the butter into the flour to create a coarse, cornmeal-like mixture using your fingers or a pastry cutter.
Try to work quickly without kneading the dough too much.
Pour the very cold cream into the center of the mixture. Use your hands to fold the cream into the flour.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it chill while you wait for the peaches to finish macerating.

Mix the Cinnamon-Sugar Topping

Use your fingers to combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon you'll top the peach cobbler with before baking.
Set this aside while you prep the cobbler.

Heat the Oven and Prep the Baking Dish

Heat an oven to 350°F (170°C).
Use 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of the melted butter from the topping ingredient's list to lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
Set this baking dish aside.

Assemble the Peach Cobbler

Combine the cornstarch, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a small bowl using a whisk or a spoon.
Sprinkle the cornstarch mixture, bourbon, and vanilla over the peach slices in the bowl.
Use a spoon to fold the dry mixture into the fruit until no traces of white powder remain.
Scrape the peach mixture into the greased pan and use the back of a spoon to spread it into an even layer in the bottom of the pan.
Fold the chilled dough 2-3 times on a floured surface, then use a lightly-floured rolling pin to roll it out into a 12 x 16 rectangle.
After rolling out the dough, use a pizza cutter (pastry wheel) to cut the dough into 1 to 1 1/2 inch squares.
*You can skip all of this and lay the rectangle of dough on top of the baking dish. Use your fingers to crimp the excess on the sides or fold them over.*
Arrange the dough on top of the peaches. Use a pastry brush to brush the dough with the remaining melted butter.
Finally, sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the cobbler.
If you laid the entire rectangle of dough over the filling, pierce it a few times with a knife to vent it.

Bake, Then Cool the Peach Cobbler Before Serving

Bake the peach cobbler for 50-55 minutes or until the top is golden, the juices are bubbly, and the crust sounds hard when tapped with a spoon or knife.
If the crust seems soggy, bake it for 15-20 minutes longer, checking it after 10 minutes.
Remove the peach cobbler from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes before enjoying it.
Serve your homemade peach cobbler while warm or at room temperature with a generous scoop of Vanilla Frozen Custard, whipped cream, or by itself.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

Replace the fresh peaches with frozen peaches or canned peaches. Reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup if you're using canned peaches in heavy syrup.
For a less rich dough, replace the heavy cream with whole milk, reducing it to 3/4 cup (180 milliliters).
Swap out the homemade cobbler topping with store-bought pie dough or puff pastry.
If you're not a fan of sweet desserts, you can make this cinnamon-sugar with less sugar or omit it completely.

Tips and Techniques:

It's important to keep the dough cold because that contributes to a flaky cobbler crust. The cold butter quickly evaporates in the hot oven, leaving behind pockets of air, which appears as flakiness.
These cobbler dough squares don't have to be perfect, but you want them to be the same thickness.
The cobbler filling properly thickens as it cools, so it's important to let the cobbler rest before serving it.

Storage Instructions:

Store leftover peach cobbler at room temperature or in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Cover the cobbler dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil or transfer it to an airtight container.
Reheat the leftover peach cobbler in the microwave for 15 seconds to get that fresh-baked flavor.

Freezing Instructions:

To freeze unbaked peach cobbler (I suggest making your peach cobbler in a disposable pan if you plan to freeze it):
1. Wrap the dish with the assembled cobbler in it in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil.
2. Freeze the peach cobbler for up to six months.
3. If you froze it in a metal pan you can go from freezer to baking without waiting for the cobbler to thaw (you just need to add an additional 15-20 minutes to account for it being frozen). If not, thaw the cobbler in the fridge overnight before baking it.
To freeze baked peach cobbler:
1. Cool the cobbler completely, then wrap it in a double layer of heavy-duty foil and it.
2. Freeze the cobbler for up to 3 months.
3. Thaw frozen peach cobbler overnight in the fridge the evening before you plan to serve it.
4. Reheat the cobbler it in a 350°F (170°C) oven for 20 minutes, then allow it to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Cover the top of the peach cobbler lightly with foil if you think it's getting too dark.

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