Perfect fresh peach cobbler

After the fiasco(s) with the clafoutis desserts, I knew exactly what I wasn't making for dessert with the remainder of the peaches coming off our tree.

I considered a peach pie, but then I hearkened back to a raspberry cobbler I used to make with a sugar cookie topping. It's a great topping for fruits with a hint of bitterness, like apricots or peaches (or red raspberries). I got the recipe back then from the fabulous The New Best Recipe. But that book is in storage in Greece right now so I had to make my own recipe. And it turned out nicely, if I say so myself.

If you're wondering why some of my peaches are dark purple, it's because an unusual peach variety grows next door. From the outside it's awful, but when you cut into it, it's the color of a black cherry. The more peachy colored fruits you see are from the peaches on our backyard tree. This is going to be a massive hit for dessert tonight, and one I'll certainly do again. Maybe soon.

Fresh Peach Cobbler with sugar cookie topping

For filling:

1-1.5 pounds peaches
1/2 cup sugar
1 TB flour

For topping:

1 1/4 C All purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 TB milk


First, bring a pot of water to a boil and gently put the peaches in. Wait 30 seconds and remove to a bowl. Peel and slice the peaches into a bowl. Add 1/2 cup sugar and gently toss to coat. Let sit for at least 30 minutes while you make the topping.

For the topping, in a bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flour, soda, salt). Put all the other topping ingredients into the bowl of a mini food processor and blend until well blended. Alternately, cream the butter, add the sugar and mix until fluffy, then add the yolk, vanilla and milk and mix well.

Add the flour to the butter mixture (or vice-versa, it's not like they have to be perfect for this purpose) and mix until well incorporated. I used a wooden spoon and it was fine.

Turn on the oven to 350 F. While oven is preheating, remove the peach slices to a colander over a pot, draining all the juice they've given off into the pot. When they're mostly drained, remove the colander from the pot. Heat the pot of juice over high heat. Let it boil until the liquid becomes thick and is reduced. This step reduces the chance of there being too much juice and reduces the need for too much flour in the filling.

When the syrup has reduced, remove from the heat. Add the sliced peaches back in and sprinkle with the tablespoon of flour, then stir gently to mix.

Place filling in an 8x8 ceramic dish, using a rubber spatula to get all that juicy goodness out of the pan. Now, drop the cookie dough by tablespoonful over the top until it is evenly distributed. No need to smash it down or smooth it - it' will be perfect.

Place it in the oven until the juices are bubbling clear and the top is golden brown.

Because peaches vary quite a lot in sweetness, I recommend serving this with either unsweetened or sweetened whipped cream. I found it just a bit too sweet without any cream, but with the unsweetened cream, it was absolutely perfect as a sweet and well balanced dessert. Top the cream with nutmeg.