Southern Peach Cobbler

Peach cobbler is the definitive dessert of the American South, rooted in the summer bounty of Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama orchards. Unlike Northern crisps or crumbles, the Southern version buries a thick buttery batter beneath a layer of spiced fresh peaches, which then rises up around the fruit as it bakes into a golden, tender crust. Every grandmother has her method — this version is poured-batter style, the most traditional.

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 115g (4 oz / ½ cup) unsalted butter
• 190g (6.7 oz / 1½ cups) all-purpose flour
• 300g (10.5 oz / 1½ cups) sugar, divided
• 2 tsp (10g) baking powder
• ½ tsp (2g) salt
• 240ml (1 cup) whole milk
• 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
• 1 kg (2.2 lb) ripe fresh peaches (about 6–7 large), peeled, pitted, and sliced 1 cm thick
• 1 tsp (2g) ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp (1g) ground nutmeg
• 1 tbsp (15ml) fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Place butter in a 23×33 cm (9×13 in) baking dish and set in the oven until fully melted, about 5 minutes.
2. Whisk flour, 200g (1 cup) of the sugar, baking powder, and salt together. Stir in milk and vanilla until a smooth batter forms. Do not overmix.
3. Pour batter over the melted butter in the dish. Do not stir.
4. Toss peaches with remaining 100g (½ cup) sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice.
5. Spoon peach mixture evenly over the batter. Again, do not stir — the batter will rise around the peaches as it bakes.
6. Bake 45–50 minutes until the crust is deep golden and a skewer inserted in the batter portion comes out clean. Rest 15 minutes before serving.

Cook's Notes: Frozen or canned peaches in juice (drained) work well out of season. For a deeper flavour, substitute 50g (¼ cup) of the sugar with brown sugar. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.