Friday, August 3, 2012

Blackberry Peach Cobbler


My sister got married last summer while I was stuck in China.  I'm still sad about it.  A couple of weeks after her wedding, she wrote me an e-mail and told me all about it. She happened to mention that they had blackberry peach cobbler for dessert for their rehearsal dinner, and I just about broke down and cried.  I was in China, the land of no blackberries.  No ovens.  No baked goods.

I'm still traumatized by my stay in China.  For reals, yo.  I just barely made my first Asian-inspired meal since we've been home.  And we've been home 10 months.  It was just that bad for me.

Kay.  So when Lex told me about this dessert, I filed it away into my brain:  Oh yeah.  I'm soo making that next summer.

And right now, the time is right.  Peaches are on.  Blackberries are on.  So the other night, I searched for a recipe, and this one from www.epicurious.com seemed good.  And boy, was it ever.  Mama mia.  It's a keeper.

Oh, and I've tweaked it a little bit - they said to use cold butter straight from the refrigerator in making the dough, and that ended up being a fiasco for me.  Next time, I'm going to soften the butter a bit before blending it into the flour.  I've had enough experience with dough to know that will work just fine.  So that's the change I've made below.

Blackberry Peach Cobbler

Gourmet | September 2005

Yield: Makes 12 servings
Active Time: 25 min
Total Time: 1 1/2 hr (includes cooling)

ingredients
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/4 lb blackberries (5 cups)
2 lb peaches (6 medium), peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons whole milk

preparation
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F. Butter a 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish (3-quart capacity).

Whisk together cornstarch and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a large bowl, then add blackberries and peaches and toss to combine well. Transfer to baking dish and bake until just bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes.

While fruit bakes, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in another large bowl, then blend in butter with a mixer until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk and stir just until a dough forms.

Drop dough onto hot fruit mixture in 12 mounds (about 1/3 cup each), then sprinkle dough with remaining teaspoon sugar. Bake cobbler until top is golden, 25 to 35 minutes. Serve warm.

Cooks' note:
Cobbler can be baked 6 hours ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Before serving, let stand at room temperature 1 hour, then reheat in a preheated 350°F oven until warm, about 20 minutes.

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