Wow, it got chilly quickly this past week. Apples and peaches are available in abundance, but these past few days the weather has been so unseasonably damp and cold, I have been craving something warm. One good way to warm up the house, make it smell delicious, and use seasonal fruit is to make some cobbler. The recipe I posted below is for apple-peach cobbler–partly because those are the fruits I had in the house at the time, and partly because apples and peaches taste lovely when baked together. The crust is hearty and crumbly, much like biscuits. This cobbler recipe is not nearly as light as the simple apple crisp recipe I posted earlier, but sometimes one is in the mood for something more substantial and filling, especially after coming in from a chilly evening. After having the windows open and smelling fresh air all summer, it is different to have all the windows closed, trying to trap every bit of warmth. Cooking and baking scents are more intense and fragrant, and the light is softer as we gather around to eat together. It is a cozy time of year!
Tag: peaches (Page 2 of 3)
Cozy Apple-Peach Cobbler
Ingredients for Filling:
- 3 apples, peeled, quartered, and sliced
- 3 peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon lime or lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons flour
Ingredients for Pastry Topping:
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
- 3/4 cup to 1 cup milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a standard sized pie baking dish. Prepare filling: Combine and sliced apples, peaches, sugar, lime or lemon juice, and four in a large bowl. Transfer to baking dish. Prepare topping: Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in 3/4 cup of milk until the mixture forms a ball of dough, adding more milk only if necessary. Gently knead the dough 3 or 4 times, until ingredients are thoroughly combined. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is large enough around to cover the fruit and reach to the edges of the baking dish. Transfer the dough to the baking dish. Gently stretch the dough so it reaches the edges of the baking dish and covers the fruit. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfect–this is a hearty, rustic dessert. If the dough tears, just patch it with extra dough from an edge that has too much dough. Lightly sprinkle the top with sugar. With a knife, carefully cut three steam vents in the center of the dough. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35-42 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown. **Note–it is a really good idea to put a cookie sheet under the baking dish while baking, so if the filling bubbles over, you only need to clean your cookie sheet and not your oven! Serve warm or at room temperature, with our without vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
August and sun-ripened peaches go hand in hand. Now available at lots of farmers markets and stands along the road, fresh peaches are one of summer’s best luxuries. There are countless ways to use peaches, but for this post I am focusing on a smoothie, with the recipe posted below. Sweet, juicy peaches go great in smoothies, especially when mixed with creamy bananas and rich Greek yogurt. Of course I am always trying to add the nutritional powerhouse kale to our diet, so I put a handful of kale in there too. Plus, it is growing like crazy in our garden, and we need to use it as much as we can! It really does not take away from the sweetness of this smoothie, and if anything, it adds a freshness to it. Peaches, besides tasting delicious, have lots of vitamins C and A, plus antioxidants. I also add some ground flax seeds, and these little seeds contain high levels of omega -3 fatty acids (one of the “good” fats). This smoothie tastes like summer, and it has lots of good nutrition as well. I definitely want to enjoy fresh peaches while they last!