Cherry Peach Cobbler

There is something nostalgic about cobblers for me. It reminds me of summertime and my childhood. As a kid, we would frequently go to a local farm called Eckert’s to pick fresh summer fruit, such as strawberries, blackberries, and peaches. Then, we would come home and use the freshly picked fruit to make some decadent dessert, usually a cobbler. I loved how the sweet aromas filled the kitchen as the dessert baked. I also loved helping my mom in the kitchen to create this treat.

The cobbler was a go-to for my mom because of its rustic charm.  This dessert does not have to look perfect to still be beautiful and taste delicious. And since precision is not required, it made it a lost easier for us kids to aid in the baking process. We just dropped clumps of homemade biscuit dough onto a dish of the seasoned fruit. There is no rhyme or reason to how the biscuit dough is arranged, you can drop it however you see fit. The true magic is when it bakes. The biscuits turn golden brown and start to connect to one another as the dough rises and expands. The berries become a vibrant rich color as their juices burst, bubble, and ooze around the biscuits.  Both telltale signs the dessert is done and ready to be devoured. Perfect imperfection.

When I picked up fresh peaches and cherries at the farmer’s market recently, I knew I had to use them for a cobbler. I wanted to recreate that memory of baking in the kitchen with my mom.

I took the basic recipe my mom used, but tweaked it slightly to give it a healthier spin. For my biscuit dough, I substituted rolled oats and oat flour (my favorites flours to bake with) instead of the regular flour and coconut sugar instead of white sugar. Time to assemble. You first combine the rolled oats, oat flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon and mix until combined. The next step is crucial. You add COLD cubes of butter (I used smart balance, but regular butter works fine here too) and use a fork or pastry cutter to gently cut the butter into the flour until it forms pea size crumbles. Final step is to add milk (I use almond because it is my milk of choice) and stir until well-combined and the mixture starts to bubble as the baking powder starts to react. Let the mix rest as you fix the fruit.

For the fruit mixture, you combine peaches and cherries with honey, orange zest, white peach balsamic and cornstarch. I added the honey to give a little additional sweetness to the fruit. The cornstarch helps thicken the mixture as the fruit release their natural juices during the baking process. The balsamic adds a little tang and enhances the peach flavor. Finally, the orange zest provides a pop of citrus and is a nice counterbalance to the sweetness of the honey and fruit.

When the fruit mixture is ready, divide it among 2 greased ramekins. Then its time for the dumping of the biscuit dough mixture – it does not have to pretty and there is no science to it. Just take spoonful of the batter and dump it on the fruit mixture then press its down slightly. Top with a little extra coconut sugar to aid in the browning process. Now it is time to bake and watch the magic happen 🙂

The aromas of this dessert as it bakes is tantalizing. Warm and inviting. The whole kitchen smells like cinnamon and berries (which should be a scent of a candle). I promise you will want to make this dessert again just to recreate the delicious smell.

You will know the dessert is done when the biscuit dough is browned and the berries mixture starts to creep above the biscuit dough. This dessert is best to eat right away white it is still warm and gooey. I recommend pairing it with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. The cold, creamy ice cream is the perfect accompaniment to the warm, decadent dessert.

I hope you enjoy this treat as much as I do and it creates your own wonderful food memory.

Enjoy!