By Chef Marcus Webster
Summertime in the South where I grew up also meant peach cobbler time!
I have very vivid memories of this favorite summer time treat, when peaches are in season. We had a peach tree in our backyard and we made sure we put all the peaches to good use. Both my dad and mom know how to make peach cobbler, so I learned how to make it too.
Try it as is or a la mode, with vanilla ice cream. Try making it a summer time ritual and show your kids how to make it too, just like my dad and mom did.
Hope y’all are enjoying your summer!
Southern Peach Cobbler
Ingredients:
First bowl:
- 8 fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced into wedges
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
- 1/2 cup brandy
Second bowl:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup boiling water
Procedure:
1) Preheat ovem to 425 degrees F.
2) In a large bowl, combine first nine ingredients. Toss and pour into a 2-quart stock pot and set on medium high heat for 20 minutes or until thick.
3) In another bowl, combine the next eight ingredients, blending in butter with a pastry blender until the mixture achieves a coarse consistency. Stir in water last.
4) Remove the peaches from the stock pot and drop spoonfuls of the sugar and cinnamon mixture on top. Bake until topping achieves a golden color, or about 30 minutes.
Chef Marcus Webster has been a professional chef for over 20 years, starting as a private chef before becoming a corporate chef at the Thousand Oaks-based Auctions in Motion. He is currently the executive chef of Conejo Valley Catering, based in Newbury Park.