what is a cobbler?

cobbler is a baked dish made with fruits or vegetable and topped with a cake batter or a biscuit or scone topping. so a cobbler can be both sweet or savory. cobbler recipes are popular both in the united states and the united kingdom. there are many varieties of cobbler recipes and many ways to make it. fruit cobblers are popular as compared to the savory versions made with veggies. fruits like peaches, blueberries, apples, blackberries, cherry, strawberry, apricots are commonly used to make a cobbler.

what is the difference between a cobbler and crumble?

though both cobbler and crumble are used in place of each other for the same dish, a crumble is a different dish. the difference lies in one ingredient that is added to a crumble and that ingredient is oats. adding rolled oats in a crumble makes for a crunchy and crispy topping.

this easy peach cobbler recipe is

• made with whole wheat flour (like most of my baking recipes)
• has fresh peaches (though canned peaches can be used too)
• topped with cake batter
• very easy and can be made even by beginners
• peaches are not separately cooked thereby saving some time

serving peach cobbler

peach cobbler can be served warm or at room temperature. you can serve it plain or accompany with vanilla ice cream. leftover peach cobbler needs to be refrigerated. while serving later, just warm slices of peach cobbler in the oven for some minutes.

a note on peaches

you can use any variety of peaches but just make sure they are sweet. you don’t want to end up with a very sour tasting cobbler. a slight tart-sweet taste in the peaches is also fine. so adjust sugar according to the taste of the peaches. you can even use canned peaches.

how to make peach cobbler

preparing peaches

1. rinse peaches gently in water using a colander. drain all water. then peel 500 grams peach or 6 to 7 medium to large-sized peaches. ripe peaches will be easier to peel.

2. cut them into half and remove the stones. chop all of them into 1 to 1.5 inches chunks. do not chop them finely.

3. take the chopped peaches in a bowl. you will need 2 cups chopped peaches. add ¼ cup sugar. this is the proportion of sugar below which i follow according to the taste of peaches.

• sweet-tasting peaches – ¼ cup sugar.
• less to moderately tart and sweet-tasting peaches (having a sweet-sour taste) – ⅓ to ½ cup sugar.

4. mix very well and keep aside. the sugar will dissolve in the juices from the chopped peaches. meanwhile, also preheat the oven for 15 minutes at 190 degrees celsius or 370 degrees fahrenheit. use both the top and bottom heating elements for preheating as well as for baking.

melting butter & making batter for peach cobbler

5. take unsalted butter (roughly 50 to 60 grams) in a small bowl or a small pan. let it melt on a stovetop on a low flame. you can even melt butter in the oven in the pan that you will use to bake (use a 9×9 inch square baking pan). you will need about 7 tablespoons of melted butter. keep melted butter aside. you can also use salted butter. use vegan butter for a vegan version.

6. in a bowl, take 1 cup whole wheat flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1 pinch salt. please use good quality aluminium free baking powder, so that you do not get the metallic aluminium taste and smell.

7. mix very well with a spoon or whisk. add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder and 2 pinches of nutmeg powder. skip salt if using salted butter.

8. next, add ½ cup sugar (8 tablespoons sugar). you can use less sugar too. at times i have made a cobbler with 6 tablespoons sugar and the taste is mildly sweet but not sweet enough.

9. again mix very well with a spoon or whisk.

10. pour 1 cup milk or add as required. for a vegan cobbler, use almond milk, cashew milk or thin coconut milk.

11. with a whisk mix well. mix with light pressure. you do not want gluten strands to form in the batter. you can even mix by using the cut and fold technique. tiny lumps are alright in the batter. the consistency of the batter is medium flowing like that of a pancake batter. addition of milk will depend on the texture and quality of the flour. so if the batter looks too thick, then add a few tablespoons more of milk. you can even use all-purpose flour, but just add less of the milk.

layering for peach cobbler

12. pour the melted butter in a ceramic or stoneware 9×9 inch square baking dish. this step of adding melted butter in the pan can also be done once you have melted butter and before making the batter.

13. gently pour the batter on top of the melted butter layer.

14. do not stir or mix. do not even shake or tilt the pan.

15. using a spoon, top the chopped peaches on the batter. do not press. just gently place the peaches on the batter all over and evenly. pour the leftover peach juice from the bowl on top of the peaches all over.

16. cover the entire surface of the pan with peaches and sugar mixture. do not make the peach layer even or stir or shake the pan. do not press the peaches in the cake batter. let them float on top of the cake batter. when baking, the cake batter will rise at the top.

baking peach cobbler

17. now place the pan in a preheated oven. bake at 190 degrees celsius or 370 degrees fahrenheit for 40 to 60 minutes. oven time varies and the only way you will now that the peach cobbler is baked well is by checking the crust – it should look crisp and golden. do not open the oven too often. bake without interruption for the first 30 minutes and then later you can check by opening the oven door.

18. once the top crust looks golden and crisp, remove from the oven. i usually bake for some more minutes to get a nice crispy crust at the sides. let the peach cobbler become warm or cool at room temperature.

19. later remove peach cobber slices with a spoon and serve it plain or with vanilla ice cream. enjoy this homemade peach cobbler.