My Dad’s love of peach cobbler led to what is now my “tried and true” cobbler recipe. Dad came by his love of peach cobbler honestly. My grandmother loved peaches. Grandma ate a dish of peaches every day. She spent the last several months of her life in a nursing home, and I stopped by for a visit one day to find a very unhappy lady. When I asked what was wrong, she exclaimed, “They won’t let me have my peaches!” This was before cell phones, and I fumed all the way home. Why, who in their right mind would deprive my sweet little grandma of a dish of peaches?!? Back in those days I was more timid, and so I opted for calling my mother rather than the administrator to report cruelty to grandmothers. I realized the wisdom of this decision once Mother explained that Grandma wouldn’t eat anything else and assured me that the peaches were being withheld only until she ate something more substantial.
When we were shopping for our current home, we asked Dad to take a look for any structural or electrical concerns. As we walked to the front door, Dad stopped at a little tree in the yard. “That’s a peach tree,” he said. “They don’t do so well around here; if you buy this place you probably ought to just cut it down.” We decided to leave the tree until the next spring just to see what happened. We had beautiful pink blooms… and two little peaches. Dad came for supper one night and, passing the tree, repeated his advice. We decided to spare the tree a little longer. The next year, we had enough peaches to make cobbler. I made two small ones, one for us and one for Dad. I delivered Dad’s, and at the first bite, he asked, “Are those fresh peaches?” I answered in the affirmative, and then he asked, “Are they from your tree?” “Yes, they are!” I exclaimed proudly. He chewed contentedly for a minute and then said, “Save that tree!” We tried but never had another cobbler-worthy crop, and a couple of years later a windstorm demolished the tree beyond saving. The tree is captured in a photo; that moment with Dad and his cobbler is forever etched in my memory.
My “tried and true” recipe calls for canned peaches, simply because those are always in season and are easy for this working girl to keep on hand. The following recipe makes an 8 inch square or 7×11 inch oblong cobbler. Double the recipe for a 9×13 dish.
Peach Cobbler
2 29-oz. cans sliced peaches, drained
2 cups sugar (or 1 cup sugar and sugar substitute blend)
3/8 cup cornstarch with just enough water to make a thick paste
Cinnamon to taste
Pie crust (You can make your own [I included a recipe below], or use a refrigerated crust such as the one with the cute little giggly guy on the box.)
Put the drained peaches in a heavy pan and add the sugar.
Cook until the sugar dissolves and the liquid comes to a good boil.
Add the cornstarch paste, stirring constantly until the liquid thickens. Add cinnamon to taste.
Line a baking dish with pie crust. (To easily line the pan, roll out the crust and fold gently in half. Lay the fold of the crust in the center of the baking dish, then unfold and press along the edges. Cut excess crust off level with the top of the dish and patch other areas as needed.)
Pour in the peach mixture. Top with crust, sealing the edges. Cut small slits in the top or prick with a fork, to allow steam to escape. Sprinkle some sugar on the top.
Bake at 350 degrees until golden.
Pie Crust
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cooking oil (vegetable, canola, etc.)
4 Tablespoons (1/4 cup) ice water
Put the flour into a mixing bowl; stir in salt. Pour the cooking oil into a measuring cup and add the water; do not stir. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix well. Divide into two portions; roll out crusts. Makes enough for a double crust pie or 7 x 11 cobbler (I would double the recipe for a 9 x 13).