While thinking about what recipe to put together this week, I stopped in my local grocery store and found some beautifully ripe yellow peaches… *Inspiration!* …and like the true forward thinker that I am, peach cobbler jumped to mind. I really do like cobbler though, particularly for the crispy, sugary crust.
Like many American dessert classics, cobbler’s origins live in the early American colonies. British colonists brought the tradition of “puddings” over to the New World, and thanks to a lack of ingredients, the more modern cobbler was born. Original cobblers were often topped with biscuit dough, which is something I think I’m going to have to try in the near future. While cobbler can technically be either sweet or savory, it is almost always thought of as a sweet, fruit-based dish these days.
Speaking of fruit, if peaches aren’t your bag, fear not. As I explain in the video, you can use the basic cobbler filling recipe for all types of fruit, ensuring you won’t have to go cobbler free no matter where you live or what fruit you like.
This recipe also gives me the opportunity to share some info on making ice cream at home, so, double score. Ice cream is actually ridiculously simple, and while I say up front that making it at home won’t yield Haggen-dazs results per se, there’s something very satisfying about making your own.
Cheers – Chef Scott
- 532 g whole milk
- 191 g heavy cream
- 1 bean vanilla Madagascar Bourbon
- 140 g sugar
- 40 g egg yolk about 2 eggs
- 3 g ice cream stabilizer optional
- 35 g milk powder 0% fat
- 65 g water
- 55 g cornstarch
- 100 g butter unsalted
- 200 g brown sugar
- 10 g vanilla paste
- 1200 g yellow peaches sliced
- 70 g butter room temp
- 85 g sugar
- 70 g turbinado sugar sugar in the raw
- 155 g All-purpose flour
- 3 g baking powder
- 3 g salt
- 50 g whole egg about 1 egg
- Combine the whole milk, heavy cream, and milk powder in a sauce pot and whisk to dissolve the milk powder.
- Add the remaining ingredients (including the split and scraped vanilla bean) and cook over medium heat, while whisking, until the mixture reaches 180F/82C.
- Pour the base in a shallow dish (increased surface area allows the base to cool more quickly) and chill rapidly in the refrigerator, whisking often.
- Allow the ice cream base to rest for a minimum of 4 hours, up to overnight.
- Remove the vanilla bean, then whisk or hand blend the ice cream base before spinning.
- Spin your ice cream according to the manufacturer's instructions for your machine. While the ice cream is spinning, freeze a container to hold the finished ice cream.
- Place the ice cream in the frozen container, then cover and place in the freezer to firm up.
- Roughly dice the peaches (3/4-1" dice) and combine with the brown sugar and vanilla paste, mixing until the peaches are coated in sugar.
- Cover the mixture and let it rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, up to overnight.
- Combine the water and cornstarch, whisking to form a slurry.
- Combine the macerated peaches, butter, and cornstarch slurry in a large sauce pot, whisking the slurry into the mixture until combined.
- Cook the mixture over medium low heat, stirring with a spatula, until the liquid thickens and begins to bubble.
- Add the filling to your baking dish(es).
- Bring the butter to room temperature before starting.
- Combine the dry ingredients and butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, and begin to mix on medium speed.
- Add the whole egg while mixing, and continue to mix until the topping binds.
- Break the topping into pieces and cover the cobbler filling.
- Chill the raw cobbler for 20-30 minutes to allow the topping to firm up.
- Coat the top of the cobbler topping with a layer of raw sugar before baking.
- Bake the cobbler at 375F/180C for 25-35 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the filling begins to bubble.
- Let the cobbler cool for 5-10 minutes, then carefully clean the sides and rims of the baking dish(es) if needed, with two damp kitchen towels.
- Add a scoop or quenelle of vanilla ice cream to the cobbler before serving.
- To create a quenelle, soften the ice cream and prepare a bain marie of hot water.
- Soak your quenelling spoon in the hot water for 10-15 seconds for each quenelle.
- Push the spoon into the ice cream away from you, with the belly of the spoon facing up.
- Once the quenelle forms, twist the spoon to around the quenelle and under it, so the belly of the spoon faces away from you.
- Pull the spoon back toward you, picking up the quenelle in the process.
- Rub the spoon in the palm of your hand to warm it and allow the ice cream to release.
Leave a Reply