Peach Cornmeal Cobbler
Ben Ashby
We are deep into peach season here in Kentucky…one of the very best seasons in Kentucky. The peaches, the good ones—the big freestone ones that practically peal themselves as juice runs down your hands are here. Cobblers are a natural place to begin this season, but certainly won’t be where we stop.
Everyone has a peach cobbler recipe they use in The South…most are that cuppa-cuppa-cuppa sort of thing that has like four ingredients and can be made just as easily with a can of fruit cocktail as it can peaches. There is a time and place for those sort of recipes, but during peach season you deserve better…and this is the recipe for that.
Cornmeal and buttermilk are two of the most southern ingredients and it truly surprises me that they aren’t with peaches more often. I add cinnamon and brown sugar to add an extra depth of flavor that create a crispy sort of crust that has the taste of Captain Crunch.
THE RECIPE: PEACH CORNMEAL COBBLER
Ingredients:
4 cups sliced peaches (peeling is a preference)
1 stick butter
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup self rising flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 & 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
cinnamon to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. While oven is preheating place butter in baking dish and melt in oven. In a pan bring 1 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, cornstarch, and peaches. Stir continually until boiling. In a mixing bowl combine remaining sugar, flour, cornmeal, and salt with buttermilk. Combine only until wet, do not over stir. Dump mixture in baking dish, do not stir. Dump peach mixture on top. Do not stir. Add cinnamon and any additional desired spices to the top. Bake until gold and bubbly, about 30 minutes.