BISCUIT-TOP PEACH COBBLER
Throughout my young life, and particularly in recent months, I've done a good bit of baking and greatly enjoyed many things that I've made. When my friend Max came over to make biscuit-topped peach cobbler with me, neither of us expected it to be as truly miraculous as it was; it was, dare I say, one of the best things I've eaten in a very long time. The peach filling is just the right balance of sweet and fresh to highlight the flavor of perfect summer peaches, and the salty-sweet biscuits on top could not be more flakey, tender, and delicate. This is a must-make.
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Total time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Active time: 60 minutes
Bake time: 40 minutes
Makes 1 9x9-inch cobbler
Ingredients for the biscuits:
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2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1+1/3 cup heavy cream, chilled
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Ingredients for the filling:
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10 yellow peaches
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon juice
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Ingredients for the topping:
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4 tbsp salted butter
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup raw coarse sugar
Flaky sea salt
Instructions for the biscuit topping:
1.) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, and sugar. Add the cubed butter and toss to coat the butter in flour. Working quickly (to keep the butter from warming up), use your hands to quickly break the butter chunks down until chunks are no larger than about the size of peas.
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2.) Use a fork to mix the cream into the biscuit dough. Once the cream is absorbed and the dough is sticky and combined, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and fold the dough onto itself several times. Roughly shape the dough into a rectangle and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a sheet that is about ¾ of an inch thick. Cut the dough into roughly 2-inch x 2-inch squares and transfer them to a sheet pan. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Instructions for the filling:
1.) While the biscuits are chilling, preheat the oven to 350° F and bring a large saucepan of water to a simmer. Prepare a large bowl with ice water and set aside. Make an x-shaped cut at the bottom of each peach with a knife. This incision will help you peel the peaches after they are blanched. Place the peaches in the pot of simmering water and cook for about 30 seconds and then quickly cool them by dropping into the bowl of ice water. This process of blanching the peaches will make it easy to peel off the skin, and it will bring out more sweetness in the peaches. Use a pairing knife or your fingers to peel the skin off of each of the peaches.
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2.) Carefully slice the peaches into thin wedges and place in a large mixing bowl-- they will be slippery. Toss the sliced peaches together with the sugar, flour, salt, vanilla extract, and lemon juice until no lumps of flour remain. The filling should be thick and wet. Set the mixture aside.
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Instructions for the assembly:
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1.) In a small saucepan, brown the butter on a low flame while whisking frequently. Once the butter starts to develop a light brown color and a rich aroma, remove it from the stove.
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2.) Transfer the filling mixture to an 9 inch x 9 inch baking dish and spread evenly. Remove the biscuits from the fridge and arrange in diagonal rows across the top of the filling, leaving small spaces between. Evenly spoon the brown butter over each of the biscuits and generously sprinkle the cobbler with raw sugar and almonds. Finish with a sprinkle of flakey sea salt.
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3.) Bake the cobbler for 30-40 minutes until the sugar is caramelized, the biscuits are puffed and golden brown, and the filling is bubbling. While it's tempting to rip into it right away, the cobbler will be molten hot, so cool for about 30 minutes before topping with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and digging in; not only will the filling be more set and not burn your mouth, but it will actually taste better! Your patience will be well worth it. Enjoy.
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Biscuits adapted from Claire Saffitz's Cherry Biscuit Cobbler