Friday, May 29, 2009

Brandied Peach Sauce and Peach Cobbler

This recipe orignated as a Peach Cobbler recipe (I'll share that version as well). But I love the filling part so much that I decided I should make some just to have. Because peaches are good, and now they're in season and tempting me at the farmer's market, and I thought it would be YUMMY on top of some vanilla ice cream. Who needs the cobbler part? (Well, it is good, too, but I mainly love the peaches).

1 3/4 lbs (3-4) peaches, pitted, peeled, and sliced
1/4 cup sugar (up to 1/2 cup if they are tart)
1 Tbsp of brandy (I sometimes add more, because liquor in food is good)
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 Tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp ground cloves

For the sauce: mix all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer 35-40 minutes until fruit softens and liquid begins to thicken. Pour over ice cream, or cool and reheat for later use, or just eat it out of the pan and then act like you don't know what people are talking about when they ask why the kitchen smells so good.

For the cobbler: Mix all ingredients in a greased pie plate. Or, if you're like me, mix them in a greased square baking dish, but double the fruit part so you have a higher fruit to biscuit ratio. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch spills) and bake until the fruit releases its liuid and is hot and bubbling around the edges, 20-30 minutes.

For the biscuit topping:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp yellow cornmeal
1/4 plus 2 tsp sugar
1 tsp bakign powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Whisk flour, cornmeal, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl; set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, butter, and vanilla together; set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining 2 tsp sugar with the cinnamon; set aside.

When the filling is ready, stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined and no pockets of flour remain. Remove the cobbler filling from the over and stir. Pinch off 8 equal pieces of the biscuit dough and arrange them on top of the hot filling, spaced 1/2 inch apart. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar.

Continue to bake the cobbler until the biscuits are golden brown on top and cooked through and the filling is again hot and bubbling, 15-20 minutes. Cool the cobbler on a wire rack 15 minutes before serving.

Trust me, this is good, and better for you than a pie.

This recipe comes from The Best Light Recipe cookbook, which contains variations for blueberry, sour cherry, strawberry, strawberry-rhubarb, plum, raspberry, blackberry, and apricot cobblers. So far, I've only done peach, but the sour cherry is on my list to try.

Did I mention that you should buy that cookbook? Because you SHOULD.

No comments:

Post a Comment