“My grandmother made the best peach cobblers. It was one of her hallmark desserts. She topped juicy peaches with strips of the most delicate pastry you could imagine and sprinkled sugar all over the top for a glittery finish. My mouth is watering, just thinking about it!
“Although Mom-ma, as we called her, could whip up some pastry dough in no time, that skill is something of a lost art. I know I can’t do it. That’s why I was so excited to discover batter cobblers! Making a cobbler does not get any easier than this, and the flavor is very reminiscent of Mom-ma’s peach cobbler, even without the flaky crust.”
~ Bobbi
We love ginger and honey, so we decided to add some of each for a change of pace. If you want a more traditional flavor (like Mom-ma’s) just leave out the ginger and add about 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg to the flour mixture and substitute sugar for the honey.
Don’t know how to cut a peach? Take a look at our basic instructions in Peaches 101, or follow the directions in our recipe.
We’ve made this cobbler many times, with numerous tweaks. Sometimes, we add the peaches first, then pour the batter over them. The batter forms a solid crust, nicely browned and slightly crisp:
However, we prefer the look of placing the peaches on top with the batter bubbling up in between, and that’s how we’ve written the recipe.
We tried adding more peaches, but that can be problematic. Because the peaches are so juicy, the center doesn’t cook properly (although it still tastes great).
So, we finally found that happy place using as many peaches as possible, but not too many to alter the batter. Additionally, we do not allow the peaches time to macerate*– we stir in a little honey right before we use them. Be mindful that the flavor will vary depending on how sweet the peaches are. We have tried to keep the sugar down as much as possible, but there might be times you’ll want a little extra sweetener (in the peaches or batter) if yours are very tart.
*Terminology:
Macerate – to soften by soaking in juices. Example: Adding sugar to fruit pulls out the juices and softens the fruit, forming a sweet syrup.
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| Prep Time | |
| 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 50-60 minutes | 30 minutes |
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- 3 cups peaches (chopped or sliced)
- 2 tablespoons honey *
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger or ground ginger (optional)
- 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose white flour
- 1/3 cup whole wheat flour (pastry flour recommended)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger (1/2 tablespoon)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder (1/2 tablespoon)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Peel peaches if desired and slice or chop into large chunks. Place in a large bowl. Mince ginger and stir into peaches. Do not add honey yet (it will cause the peaches to macerate,* which you don’t want here).
- When oven has reached the proper temperature, put butter in baking dish and place in oven to melt.
- While butter melts, combine all remaining ingredients for the batter, except the milk, in a medium bowl, and mix. Measure out the milk, but DO NOT ADD it yet! Get ready to do the next steps quickly.
- When the butter has melted and is bubbling, but not burned, remove the dish from the oven. Immediately and quickly stir milk into the dry ingredients with a whisk (or fork). Don't overmix.
- Immediately pour the batter directly into the center of the baking dish with the melted butter in it, but do not stir. (It will start to bubble up and cook a little.)
- Very quickly toss peaches with honey, then pour on top of the batter. Arrange evenly throughout, pushing them down into the batter, but not stirring.
- Sprinkle sugar over the mixture, and bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until bubbling and browned on top.
- Cool at least 30 minutes to set, if you can stand to wait!
*Tips:
- To slice or chop peaches, cut into quarters, top to bottom and remove pit. Slice each quarter lengthwise into two or three slices. To chop, turn and slice across in half or thirds, to end up with large, bite-size pieces.
- To substitute sugar for honey in most recipes, double the amount of sugar. Conversely, if substituting honey for sugar, halve the amount.
- Be sure to mince or grate fresh ginger into very tiny pieces, as it can be unpleasantly spicy if you bite into a large piece.
Terminology:
- Macerate– to soften by soaking in juices. Example: Adding sugar to fruit pulls out the juices and softens the fruit. It also forms a sweet syrup.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
- Serve plain, or with cream (whipped or not).
- Serve with vanilla, ginger, peach, or butter pecan ice cream.
VARIATION:
- Traditional taste – Substitute 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg for the ginger in the batter. Omit ginger in peaches, and add sugar instead of honey.
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