This is one of those classic, rustic, comfort food recipes that everyone loves. I like to make it during prime peach season during the summertime, though I have notes above on how to make it with frozen or canned peaches, making it a year-round dessert. The paprika in the peach cobbler not only gives the filling an extra depth of flavor but also accentuates the lovely orange peach color. The cinnamon sugar topping of the biscuit gives the cobbler a sweet crunch and helps bring out the peach flavor even more! Don't be intimidated by the long ingredients list. The recipe is pretty easy once you've peeled the peaches.
3 to 3 1/2poundsripe peachesabout 8 medium-sized peaches
1/3cupwhite sugar67 g
1/3cuppacked light brown sugar75 g
1/4cuptapioca starchor cornstarch, 35 g
1tablespoonraspberry vinegarcan substitute lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
2teaspoonvanilla extract
1/2teaspoonalmond extractoptional but recommended
1/2teaspoonkosher salt
1/2teaspooncinnamon
1/2teaspoonpaprika
1/4teaspoonground nutmeg
1medium applepeeled, cored and grated
Cobbler biscuit
2cupsall-purpose flour280 g
1/4white sugar50 g
2teaspoonbaking powder
1/2teaspoonkosher salt
6tablespoonscold butter85 g
3/4cupcold buttermilkwith additional 1 to 2 tablespoons if necessary, see note below for substitutions
Topping
1large egg yolk
1tablespooncold water
3tablespoonswhite sugar
1/2teaspooncinnamon
Instructions
Preheat an oven to 375°F.Peel and slice the peaches into 1/2-inch wedges. Place in a large bowl. Add the sugar, brown sugar, tapioca starch or cornstarch, raspberry vinegar, vanilla extract, almond extract if using, salt, cinnamon, paprika and nutmeg to the bowl. Peel, cut and then grate the apple into the bowl. Toss ingredients together until well blended.
Spray a 3-quart (9 x 13 x 2 inch) baking dish with cooking oil. Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any filling drips and to help you move the pan in and out of the oven. Pour filling into the prepared baking dish, making sure to scrape any juice from the bottom of the bowl into the baking dish. Move to the oven to bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
While the peaches are baking, make the cobbler biscuits by placing the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the same bowl you used to make the filling. There’s no reason to wash the bowl. Cut the butter into cubes and sprinkle over the dry ingredients. Using your fingers, smash the butter into small flat pieces.
Drizzle the buttermilk over the dough ingredients, tossing with a fork until a dough forms. If you need to, add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of buttermilk. If the peaches aren’t finished baking yet, place the bowl in the fridge to chill.
Make the topping by beating together the egg and water in a small bowl. Place the sugar and cinnamon together in a different small bowl and mix together with a fork.
When the peaches have baked for 20 minutes, remove them from the oven and spoon the biscuit topping over the warm peaches, leaving a little bit of room between each biscuit for the dough to expand.
Brush the top of the biscuits with the egg wash, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar all over the top of the biscuits and the cobbler. Place back in the oven and bake for an additional 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cobbler filling is bubbly in the middle and the biscuits are golden brown on top.Let cool for 30 minutes to let the filling thicken up a bit before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.
Notes
If you don't have buttermilk, you can just add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, raspberry vinegar or apple cider vinegar to 3/4 cup of milk and let it sit for 10 minutes to thicken. Use in place of the buttermilk.
The apple in the filling is there to help thicken the cobbler as well as provide sweetness. Don't worry, you won't taste the apple in the cobbler, though! The natural pectin in the apple means you can use less starch in the filling, allowing for the peach flavor to shine.