13 August 2015

Peach Cobbler - My Easy No-Roll Pie Crust

Peach Cobbler - My Easy No-Roll Pie Crust / www.delightfulrepast.com

Peach cobbler (or any fruit cobbler) is one of those things people feel strongly about. Some insist on a biscuit topping; others, a cake-y topping. Me? I must do it my Southern grandmother's way: with pie crust. But I put a little different spin on it. 

Peach cobbler, the way I make it, is like peach pie, but much easier. Even if you don't "do" pie crust, you can do my Easy No-Roll Pie Crust. Of course, even among those who agree with me that cobbler must be made with pie crust, there is still controversy: top and bottom crust or top crust only. 

Grandma made her cobblers with pie crust, top and bottom, which explains why I make mine that way. Don't get me wrong, if you serve me one of those other types of cobblers, I'm going to lap it up; but I have to make mine Grandma's way! 

This time I added a half cup of finely chopped pecans to the pastry because peaches and pecans go so well together. What's your favorite kind of cobbler?

(In case you missed it, check out my post about Freezing Peaches Pie-Ready.)


Peach Cobbler - My Easy No-Roll Pie Crust / www.delightfulrepast.com

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Peach Cobbler with My Easy No-Roll Pie Crust 


(Makes 8 servings) 

The Pastry

2 1/2 dip-and-sweep cups (12.5 ounces/354 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon baking powder 
2 sticks (8 ounces/226 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or cider vinegar 
Ice water to make 3/4 cup (6 fluid ounces/177ml) liquid 

The Filling

2 1/2 pounds (1134 grams) perfectly ripe yellow peaches 
1/2 to 2/3 cup (3.5 to 4.67 ounces/100 to 133 grams) sugar
1/4 cup (1.1 ounces/31 grams) tapioca flour (much better than cornstarch)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon mace or nutmeg 

1 Preheat oven to 400F/200C/Gas6. In large bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Add half the butter and with pastry blender cut butter into flour until mixture has the consistency of coarse meal. Cut in remaining butter until the butter is the size of small peas. 

2 In one-cup glass measure, combine lemon juice or cider vinegar and enough ice water to make 3/4 cup. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of it over flour mixture; stir with large fork. Pinch dough with fingers; if dough is dry and does not hold together, stir in a little more ice water a tablespoon at a time until dough holds together.

3 Put half the dough in a 1.5-quart oval Corning French White casserole or 11-by-7-inch 2-quart Pyrex baking dish. Press it out right in the pan (There, now isn't that easier than rolling it out with a rolling pin?). It should be between 1/8- and 1/4-inch thick. If it is thicker than that, just press it partway up the sides of the pan to thin it out. Bake for 15 minutes. 

4 Put remaining dough on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper and press it out into a rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Doesn't have to be smooth, doesn't have to be pretty. Refrigerate until ready to use.

5  In small bowl, whisk together the sugar, tapioca flour, salt and spices. Wash the peaches well, rubbing off as much fuzz as possible. No need to peel. Really, there is no need to peel. Slice into a medium bowl (I use a 2-quart Pyrex glass measure). You'll have about 6 cups of sliced peaches. (I slice them like this: Quarter peach, cut each quarter into 1/2-inch wedges, cut wedges in 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces.)  

Note: Freestone varieties are easiest to work with. 

As soon as you remove prebaked crust from oven, add sugar mixture to peaches and stir gently to combine. Pour over prebaked pastry. Remove top pastry from refrigerator, and cut into pieces and place them over berries in no particular way (doesn't matter if the pieces overlap or there are bare spots). You may not need all the pastry. 

7 Bake for 30 minutes; reduce heat to 350F/180C/Gas4 and continue baking until pastry is nicely browned and peaches are bubbling, about 30 minutes.

Jean


54 comments:

Angie's Recipes said...

I definitely will go for a pie crust topping! This looks utterly delicious and extremely tempting.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Angie! And I look forward to checking out *your* latest tempting dishes this weekend.

Thomas "Sully" Sullivan said...

It had to happen. Peaches and pecans. Piecrust vs cake or biscuit. Double crust vs truncated version. The perfect storm. Check, check, check! Ya got me. Congrats to you and your genetics for making all the right decisions. 5 CLEAVERS!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Oh, Sully, it's always such an honor to receive the coveted 5 Cleavers award! It's like that old cereal commercial: "Mikey liked it!"

Cranberry Morning said...

Okay Jean, my favorite almost anything is peach (or lemon in the springtime), but this recipe is now my new favorite. And I just got an email from our local farmers market that sc peaches are ready. Yum!!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Ohhh, Judy, that is so nice to hear! Thank you!

Pauline Wiles said...

I didn't actually realize a cobbler could have a pie-style topping and still be a cobbler, but then again, I would probably try to call something like this a "crumble" in which case the topping sort of needs to be more crumb like. As always, the photo looks absolutely delicious.

Anonymous said...

Hello Jean, Peaches have been wonderful this year, and I've been eating them almost daily. Your recipe sounds great!
Wishing you well, Carol

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Pauline, thank you! And I love to make crumbles, too!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Carol! I've been eating them just about every day, too! On days it was too hot to bake, I blended them in smoothies or just cut them up and ate them fresh.

Carlee said...

That looks amazing! It is funny how everyone has a different idea about what makes a cobbler vs. crisp vs. buckle etc. I say whatever grandma did must be right!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Carlee, thank you! And, as far as I was concerned, my grandmothers were always right. I adored them both, one Southern, one English -- so different, but they always had a great time together, often in the kitchen!

Amy at love made my home said...

It sounds delicious!!!! I think that any kind of fruity dessert has to be a good thing, no matter what the topping! xx

The Cranky said...

Your grandmother and mine must have learned how to make cobbler together! The first time I saw cobbler with a 'biscuity' crust I was amazed.

TONY said...

Hi Jean. I hope you have had a good Summer? I like the sound of Peach Cobbler, just a little unsure about the word ,easy , in the title though. " Cobblers," a good Anglo Saxon word, there,Jean!!! Ha! Ha!

TONY said...

Just noticed, Pauline's comment. My mother used to make apple crumbles.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Amy, thanks! I agree. Have always preferred any kind of fruit dessert over something chocolate, for example.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Amy, thanks! I agree. Have always preferred any kind of fruit dessert over something chocolate, for example.

Margaret D said...

Pie crusting sounds better and who am I not to go with your grandmother..

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Jacqueline, smart woman, your grandmother! It's always interesting to me to look at a family's food traditions.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Tony, I'm not a fan of summer (too hot, too bright), but life is good! And, I must say, British slang is much more amusing than American!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Tony, I'm not a fan of summer (too hot, too bright), but life is good! And, I must say, British slang is much more amusing than American!

Linda Kay said...

Jeanne, I'm going to for sure try this pie crust. Looks wonderful.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

whiteangel, smart woman! Can't go wrong going with my grandmother! :D

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Linda, thank you! Let me know how it turns out for you!

Ken said...

I just made a blackberry cobbler here in Washington. At least I called it a cobbler. It was somewhere between a crumble and a cobbler really. Confusing, right? GREG

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Greg, I hope you guys are having a great time on your travels! Happy trails!

Mocadeaux said...

My darling son-in-law loves peach pie. This looks like a recipe I could follow to make him a special treat!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Mo, thank you! I hope he likes it!

Mimi said...

Jean, this looks mouthwatering and so easy! I wonder if I could entice you to share this post over at my Five Star Frugal linkup at A Tray of Bliss. I know my followers would love you, and what's more frugal or five star than a home made dessert! Love, Mimi xxx
http://atrayofbliss.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/50-fabulousfind-your-own-style.html

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Mimi, thank you! I hope you and your readers will enjoy it.

Susan J Meyerott, M.S. said...

Yummmm, Jean! I have the freestone peaches and I'm making it tonight!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sue, I hope you like it as much as we do!

Stephanie said...

Oh, I just love Grandma's way, my friend :) I always leave your blog hungry...and you always inspire me to cooke and bake. Thanks for sharing with Roses of Inspiration. Have a lovely Sunday! Hugs

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, Stephanie! I loved reading about your Grandma Betty!

Brooks said...

I'm in line with your thinking, Jean. I like my cobbler (fresh in-season fruit is my fav)with a more crusty cobble. Your grandmother's way of doubling it up doubles the fun. I've bookmarked this for I'll be trying your pastry soon. Cheers!

Susan J Meyerott, M.S. said...

Peach Cobbler Report: This was as good tasting as it looked in your photo! I added the 1/2 cup ground pecans to the pastry. I have a confession to make...this was my first crust I ever made with butter. I've always found it so easy to do an oil based crust. But I have to say this was easy and delicious. Thanks, Jean!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Brooks, thank you! I'm looking forward to fall -- better baking weather!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sue, thanks for the report! I'm so glad you tried it ... and liked it. Don't the pecans go well with the peaches?

Mimi said...

Jean, This got the thumbs up from the family over the weekend. Thanks for sharing at Five Star Frugal! Love, Mimi xxx

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Mimi, that makes me soooo happy! You just made my day. Hope you have a great week.

Tandy | Lavender and Lime (http://tandysinclair.com) said...

Thanks for sharing this recipe, and for weighing your sticks of butter. That is so helpful :)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Tandy, unlike a lot of cooks in the US, I do a lot of weighing. Especially when I'm posting it to the blog, because I have lots of readers from other countries.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Tandy, unlike a lot of cooks in the US, I do a lot of weighing. Especially when I'm posting it to the blog, because I have lots of readers from other countries.

Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch said...

Mmmm.. Love this! Anything with Peaches and Pie Crust has my name all over it!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Serena, thanks! That's just how I feel!

Swathi said...

Love this Peach pie, when I get chance to buy them I will try to make it. thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop. pinning and featuring on this week's blog hop.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Swathi, you are the best! Sometime when I get more peaches, I'd like to try a peach and ginger chutney.

Melissa AuClair said...

I made this last night for a get-together. Everyone loved it- so delicious! I'm hooked on a no-roll pie crust now! Thank you Jean :)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Melissa, thank you so much! I'm so glad it was a hit!

April J Harris said...

What a delicious peach cobbler, Jean, and I love the no roll pie crust!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, April! It does simplify matters!

Dori said...

Yum!I haven't had peach cobbler for so long. I'm always intimidated by making the crust. Your no roll pie crust has sold me. I'm going to give it a try. Thanks!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Dori, that's wonderful! Let me know how it turns out for you!