DROP-BISCUIT PEACH COBBLER

Makes 6 servings

A cobbler is the dessert of choice when the season brings soft fruits with lots

of juice. The sweet-biscuit topping for this one is light and cakey and just

about begs to be soaked with the flavorful syrup that comes with cooked

fruits. To make the topping, you stir the ingredients together with a fork and

drop the batter over the fruit — it’s a biscuit recipe for a beginner, no cutting

in butter, no fretting over working the dough too much or too little. As with

so many of the best homemade classics, this is less a formula than a

construct — one 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and this recipe, and you’re on

your way to a lifetime of cobblers.

a word on serving

I like to spoon the cobbler out of the dish and serve it in bowls, with some of

the fruit juices around it, but some people like the cobbler upside down,

biscuit on the bottom, the fruit on top and the juice soaking into the biscuit.

Ice cream or whipped cream is a good move no matter how you serve it.

For the fruit

3 pounds (about 1½ kg) peaches

¼ cup (50 grams) sugar, or to taste

Freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)

1 cup (150 grams) blueberries (optional)

2 teaspoons cornstarch (optional)

For the biscuit topping

1½ cups (204 grams) all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy cream

½ cup (120 ml) cold buttermilk (well shaken before measuring)

Ice cream or whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Line a baking

sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Butter a 9-inch deepdish

pie plate and put it on the baking sheet.

TO M A K E T H E F R U I T: I know this may sound sacrilegious, but I no longer peel

peaches for cobblers, crisps or pies — I actually like the extra bit of chew that

you get with the skins and it speeds up the prep. But if you want to peel

them, cut a shallow X in the base of each peach. Bring a pot of water to a boil.

Drop in the peaches a few at a time, leave for about 15 seconds, lift out and

transfer to a bowl filled with very cold water and ice cubes. Leave for a

couple of minutes, then drain and peel.

Cut the peaches into bite-sized chunks or slices and toss them into the pie

plate. Taste and decide how much sugar you want and then, if you’d like, add

some lemon juice. Add the blueberries, if you’re using them, and then make

a decision about the cornstarch: It’s only a tiny bit, but it will thicken the

juices a little. If your peaches are very ripe, I’d add it. Give everything a good

stir and set aside.

TO M A K E T H E B I S C U I T TO P P I N G : Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking

powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. In a measuring cup or

another bowl, whisk together the cream and buttermilk. Pour the liquid

ingredients over the dry and, using a table fork, stir until the flour is evenly

dampened and you’ve got a moist batter.

Using a medium (1½-tablespoon capacity) scoop or a tablespoon, dollop

the topping over the fruit — leave a little space between each pouf of batter.

Bake the cobbler for 45 to 55 minutes, until the topping is golden brown

and, most important, the fruit juices are boiling under, and maybe up,

through and over, the biscuits. Transfer to a rack and let cool for at least 20

minutes, or until the cobbler reaches room temperature, before serving,

with or without ice cream or whipped cream.

S TO R I N G : The cobbler is best the day it is made. You can keep it covered

overnight at room temperature or in the refrigerator, but the biscuit topping

will never make you as happy as it does soon after it comes out of the oven.

BISCUIT SHORTCAKES

The same batter that makes the topping for the cobbler makes lovely

shortcakes. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet. Use a

large (3-tablespoon capacity) scoop or a tablespoon to portion out the

batter, dropping the biscuits on the baking sheet 3 inches apart. Bake for 17

to 19 minutes, until the biscuits are golden and set. You’ll get 10 biscuits for

sure, and maybe another one or two. Let them rest until they’re just warm or

at room temperature before serving. These won’t be very high, but they will

be very tender, so either cut them in half or just smush them and put juicy

fruit on top. Choose whatever soft fruit and/or berries you’d like, cut the

fruit into bite-sized pieces, if necessary, and toss them with some sugar, so

that they create a syrup. Serve the shortcakes with whipped cream.

Playing Around

You can vary the cobbler according to what fruits are in season and within

reach: Just know that you need a scant 6 cups cut-up fruit, sugar to taste and, if

you’d like, lemon juice. I love an all-berry cobbler — mix whatever berries you

can get and, if you want, cut in some ripe mango; add 1 to 2 tablespoons

cornstarch to the berries — they’re very juicy. Plums make a pretty cobbler and

are nice in combination with peaches or nectarines. I adore apricots, though it

can be hard to find good ones — but when you bake them in a cobbler, even so-so

apricots can shine. In spring, go with rhubarb and strawberries (and some

cornstarch).