A casual labor day cookout gave me the opportunity to experiment with something I've never made before - cobbler and an office birthday had me whipping up a cake this week.
Ripe peaches on hand were just begging to be made into something lucious. I've had my eye on the Cupcake Queen's peach cupcakes but the vote from my significant other was for a cobbler so the search for a recipe began. I wound up with one from FoodTV's Tyler Lawrence. It called for bourbon, yum, but I didn't have anything but brandy so I used that. I also thought that the cast iron skillet could be used on the BBQ but wound up cooking it in the oven anyway. It came out bubbly and crispy on top. I think I like cobbler. Here's the recipe:
Bourbon Peach Cobbler
8 peaches, peeled and sliced, about 6 to 8 cups
1/4 cup bourbon
3/4 cup sugar, (1/4 cup in filling & 1/2 cup in dumplings) plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
3/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl add the peaches, bourbon, 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon and mix well to coat the peaches evenly; set aside.
Prepare the dumplings: Into a bowl sift together the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter into small pieces. Add it to the flour mixture and cut it in with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture looks like coarse bread crumbs. Pour in the cream and mix just until the dough comes together. Don't overwork; the dough should be slightly sticky but manageable. (I used a food processor and was VERY careful not to over mix)
In a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Add the peaches and cook gently until heated through, about 5 minutes. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls over the warm peaches. There can be gaps, the dough will puff up and spread out as it bakes. Brush the top with some heavy cream and sprinkle with some sugar; put it into the oven on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Cook for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is browned and the fruit is bubbling.
I had a birthday cake to bake this week and tried Billy's Vanilla Frosting for it that got rave reviews from the Cupcake Queen. It was my bright idea to decorate the top with a splotch of strawberry preserves. What does it look like to you? My significant other said it looke like an amoeba. Someone else took one look at it and said it looked like a loogie! Eeeew :( Not the effect I was going for!
8 peaches, peeled and sliced, about 6 to 8 cups
1/4 cup bourbon
3/4 cup sugar, (1/4 cup in filling & 1/2 cup in dumplings) plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
3/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl add the peaches, bourbon, 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon and mix well to coat the peaches evenly; set aside.
Prepare the dumplings: Into a bowl sift together the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter into small pieces. Add it to the flour mixture and cut it in with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture looks like coarse bread crumbs. Pour in the cream and mix just until the dough comes together. Don't overwork; the dough should be slightly sticky but manageable. (I used a food processor and was VERY careful not to over mix)
In a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Add the peaches and cook gently until heated through, about 5 minutes. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls over the warm peaches. There can be gaps, the dough will puff up and spread out as it bakes. Brush the top with some heavy cream and sprinkle with some sugar; put it into the oven on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Cook for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is browned and the fruit is bubbling.
I had a birthday cake to bake this week and tried Billy's Vanilla Frosting for it that got rave reviews from the Cupcake Queen. It was my bright idea to decorate the top with a splotch of strawberry preserves. What does it look like to you? My significant other said it looke like an amoeba. Someone else took one look at it and said it looked like a loogie! Eeeew :( Not the effect I was going for!
Billy's Vanilla Buttercream
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add 6 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add remaining 2 cups sugar to reach desired consistency.
