Karl’s Peach Pie Cobbler

Last week, I made what I thought was a fruit cobbler (fruit on the bottom). On further research, I found that I had made something closer to a tart (fruit on the top). I was planning to try making a cobbler again when my wife, Jan, said that she preferred the fruit on the top.

In an attempt to please both of us, I decided to split the difference. My tort had come out with a very thick bottom crust that was a bit dry. I wondered what would happen if I put part of the dough on the bottom of the pan and spread the remainder on top of the fruit—sort of an easy-crust peach pie.

My original crust dough was very thick and hard to spread. I decided to make it richer by adding another egg and to make it “looser” with some extra milk. This is a total experiment, so we will see how it comes out.

After Dinner Note: This idea came out perfectly. The bottom crust came out very firm on the bottom and moist and creamy on the fruit side, while the top crust was substantial enough to have a satisfying bite without being dry.

Karl’s Peach Pie Cobbler

Ingredients

Fruit

4 cups fresh peaches, chopped
4 Tbs. corn starch
2 Tbs. Karl’s Orange Infused Sugar
2 Tbs. brandy
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
¼ tsp. nutmeg, fresh grated
pinch of Kosher salt

Crust

2 egg
1¼ cups milk (I used low fat, lactose free)
2 Tbs. Karl’s Orange Infused Sugar

2 Cups AP flour
2 Tbs. potato starch
2 tsp. baking powder (aluminum free preferred)
⅛ tsp. Kosher salt

6 Tbs. melted butter, separate uses

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 375º F.

2. Peel and chop the fruit into small slices.

Tip: You may use any fruit that you have.

3. Put the fruit in a bowl and add the corn starch, sugar, brandy, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.

4. Mix the fruit well and set it aside to macerate for half an hour.

Tip: The sugar draws out some of the juices softening the fruit and creating a bit of a sauce.

5. Put the eggs into a small bowl and scramble them well.

6. Mix in the milk and sugar and set it aside.

Tip: Stir the milk occasionally until the sugar has completely dissolved.

7. Put the flour in a large bowl and add the potato starch, baking powder, and salt.

8. Whisk the dry ingredients to blend the ingredients together well.

Tip: You may also sift them together several time to get a really good mixture.

9. Melt the butter in a cup and brush about a tablespoon onto the bottom and sides of your baking pan.

Note: I used a 8½ x 11½ inch casserole, which was just the right size.

10. Pour the rest of the butter into the flour and mix it in well.

Tip: I used the British baking trick of using my fingers to work the butter into the flour, until it was like wet sand. This bind as much of the butter fat with the flour proteins as possible.

Note: The butter binds with the flour to reduce the amount of gluten that is formed and keeps your crust tender.

11. Mix the milk into the flour mixture to make a thick batter.

12. Pour have of the batter into your baking pan and spread it out to cover the entire bottom of the pan.

13. Pour the fruit mixture over the bottom layer of the batter.

14. Spoon the remaining batter over the fruit.

Tip: I used a large spoon to gently spread globs of the batter over the fruit. I then used a spatula to fill in the gaps to cover all of the fruit.

15. Bake for 50-60 minutes.

16. Allow the cobbler to cool slightly before serving.

Tip: Very good with a scoop of ice cream and a splash of brandy.