Once Summer is full blown and it’s hotter than the hinges of Hades, the canning kettle comes out to add to the hellish mix. Folks, who among you cans or otherwise puts up food for when the snowballs fly? I’ve been canning for more than fifty (50!) years and still love it (else, I could be just plain NUTS!) What I do not love is the heat and exhaustion which accounts for my absence lately. The southside Virginia heat is killing me; give me the cold of the Appy Mtns now please.
In Southside Virginia, peach season has passed but we’re still receiving loads of Georgia, South Carolina and Florida peaches. I’ve made twenty some pints of peach preserves, eaten fresh peaches on my granola and still have a few peaches left, enough to can another batch of preserves or to freeze a few pans of sliced peaches.
What’s your go-to dessert when company (unexpectedly) comes for a visit? Mine is either shortbread or cobbler and there’s almost nothing better than Peach Cobbler. Mom gave me this recipe and it’s been a good one, we’ve passed it around like an beautiful baby and now it’s yours.
CUPPA, CUPPA, CUPPA PEACH COBBLER
Gather ingredients: baking powder, vanilla, sugar, flour, milk while in a 350 F degree oven you’ve
put your cast iron skillet containing a stick of butter to melt. This Griswold 10 inch skillet is an heirloom from my beloved Aunt Bonnie and sees more use than my vacuum cleaner.
Whisk together 1 cup of flour with 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup of milk + a pinch of baking powder and a gurgle of vanilla. This is a Very Forgiving recipe…please don’t angst over a pinch or gurgle, just do it and then whisk well. Peaches should be peeled, sliced and placed in the heated skillet where the butter is melted. Pour the batter over the peaches, return to the oven and bake until done, approximately 30 minutes, give or take.
My poor ole mother in law (who went by the nickname “Crock” because her middle name was “Crockett” and was, yes, kin to the Davy Crockett family) just about went over the edge when once I asked her to “Watch the biscuits, don’t let them burn and take them out when they’re finished”.
Deer caught in headlights look
“Wait a minute, how will I know when they’re done?”
I looked at her, thinking she was joshing. “When they’ve finished browning.”
“How will I know when they’ve finished browning?”
I’m genuinely puzzled. “I don’t understand the question.”
She looked at me like I rode the short bus. “HOW MANY MINUTES?”
“I don’t know because I don’t know your oven. Just look at the biscuits, when they’re brown on the top, take them out of the oven.”
Sure, it’s funny now but then…we’re both wondering if we really want to be related to each other even if only by marriage.
All’s well that ended well; the biscuits didn’t burn, mainly because I rushed to do what I had to do in order to return to the kitchen. Later, when I told Dave this story he started laughing. “Mother was a hard science teacher…biology and chemistry…she needs to know exacts, plus Aunt Melindy did all the cooking in her family so Mother never learned her way around the kitchen.” That may be but in the kitchen there aren’t a whole lotta “exacts” especially when using a wood stove, which I’ve done. The general theory being…you want to eat, you learn to cook and bake and can and put up food…for when the snowballs fly. That’s Granny B’s philosophy and I’m cozy chubby.
CUPPA, CUPPA, CUPPA PEACH COBBLER
1 stick butter (NOT margarine)
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup milk (I used 2% but NOT skim)
pinch baking powder
gurgle of vanilla (NOT imitation)
Place 1 stick butter in 10 inch cast iron skillet then into 350 degree F oven (while preheating) so butter may melt.
Whisk well the rest of ingredients.
Peel, pit, slice about 4 large peaches; if you have too many to fit your pan, save for breakfast or dessert.
Arrange peaches on top of melted butter.
Pour batter over peaches and butter.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes…when brown, remove from oven and serve with ice cream or cream (half n half or whipping cream) or plain. It’s good even plain.
I learned to cook from when women whose recipes were in their heads. When pressed upon, they could write out basic instructions but the finagling was up to the cook. It’s a delightful way to make one’s way around the kitchen especially when you’re a day or three away from grocery shopping, open the pantry or fridge door and see ?????. Some of my best meals have been from the dregs of the freezer, fridge or pantry.
If you make this cobbler, or have made a similar version, please let me know and thanks.
HAPPY EATING!
Definitely no other kind. And yours looks amazing. Yum.
Amalia
xo
Amalia, it was and I’m making it again with the last of this year’s peaches.
Loved this post and will be making the cobbler very soon.
Did you make the cobbler? I’m getting ready to make it today, hopefully. The last of the peaches are on my counter now.
Oh yum, I will have to bookmark this and attempt to not burn it. 🙂
Recently I heard someone say she could burn water. I had to laugh.
Most of my grandmother’s recipes are like this. There is an ingredient list along with some guestimates on how much she used. It takes some playing around to get it right, but I can usually figure it out. Sometimes it’s frustrating and there are more than a few recipes that went away with my Grandmother. This taught me to start writing out my recipes and saving them so my children won’t face the same issues.
Well, since we’ve actuallly met, face to face, Michele you know I’m almost old enough to be your granny. lol I LOVE you’re writing your recipes…I’ve been thinking about a short TCF Cook Book. I’ve also started writing on the backs of photos, etc. who/want/when. Someone told me, “It lowers the value of ____” but not my problem. I know I’d rather have the information…to my mind, it establishes provenance and adds value.
This looks like my kind of recipe – butter, a cast iron skillet, an oven, fresh peaches — how could it go wrong? ❤️
Gretchen, it could NOT! /smile/ The delicious crust on the bottom only adds to the goodness factor!
This is such a fun read, Sandra! I laughed reading story of your mother-in-law watching the biscuits. I loved your husband’s explanation and especially loved Aunt Melindy being mentioned–what a wonderful old Southern name.
I’ll write down your recipe as I might make this version more often than I do my standby that requires more cleanup, Lee Bailey’s peach cobbler, I think from his Country Weekends cookbook. It’s wonderful with a rich pastry that you cut into strips and lattice and I always made it for July 4th back when the kids were at home, even doubled it then.
We love using our black iron skillets but ours are Lodge. My mother treasured her one Griswold! And I grew up spending the summer in the kitchen with my mother, helping her can, preserve and freeze. My father was produce buyer for mid-TN Kroger stores back then so we got lots of produce, plus all he grew in his big garden. And I did a ton of canning on my own after marriage too. I remember that with peaches and apples I even used the peelings for jelly while using the fruit for jam. Those were good days and I miss seeing the pretty jars lined up in a pantry but my hands aren’t up to it now and I don’t have the pantry space to store them. I sure do miss it, though.
Ah yes…apple peelings for jelly and that wonderful pectin! Dewena, have you ever made strawberry jam using grated apple for its pectin? I haven’t but might try it one day. I’ve got a lot of Lodge, some Wagner and the Griswold. I found a Wagner corn pone baker at the thrift store and paid less than $8…a heart clutcher for sure! lol at myself
I love peaches! My favorite way to eat them is fresh, I love the juice dripping down my hand. I can remember as a child picking bushels of them with my grandmother and she would can them for winter.
Elizabeth, what a marvelous memory!
Peaches are one of my faves and this recipe looks sooooo delish. Thanks for sharing. Happy Thursday.
xoxo
Kris
Kris, did you make this peach cobbler? It’s just as good with black cherries!
Sandra, you won’t believe this: one of my girlfriends called me a couple of days ago to tell me she had just made PEACH COBBLER, and they were eating it with ice cream. Exact same recipe !!! I mean exact. So for certain I’m making your’s cause this post is so much fun. Only problem is that living alone it’s dangerous to make fattering food of any kind cause I’ve been know to get a midnight snack. You are wonderful !!!
Sounds delicious and it’s now time for another peach cobbler…I’m woefully slow in responding. Marsha, ever now and again, a delicious snack won’t hurt. That’s my belief!
Looks delicious and thank you for the recipe!
You, Deborah, are so very welcome!
Ah yes, canning. My mother always says one ends up canning on the hottest day(s) of the year! My sister cans outside which keeps the house cooler. I’ve always canned indoors, and it seems, always on the hottest of days.
I believe I have made that peach cobbler…..the one cup of everything is very familiar. My problem is willpower. I can’t stop thinking about it (and therefore eating it) til it’s gone. So, although I used to do a lot of baking, I rarely do it anymore.
And it’s pointless to make jellies and jams because hubby doesn’t eat them. But I do have a couple of savory jams and chutney set aside!
Hi Carol – it’s *always* the hottest day of the year when it’s canning season! I’m thinking of making a cherry cobbler and, yes, will probably eat it all over the course of a week.
My mom was a registered dietitian and managed large food service operations for hospitals, setting up ingredient rooms and systems; in other words, she did “exact” at work. But she can cook from her head with the best of ’em; her mother was a Swedish immigrant, was the cook for a kosher Jewish family, the baker for a restaurant, and made pastries to DIE for.
As for peaches, I prefer mine fresh or frozen, not cooked, so the BEST peach treat is my MIL’s FRESH peach pie. It has a cooked peach glaze but uses fresh sliced peaches, like those fresh strawberry pies featured by some restaurants during strawberry season. For crisps (which I prefer to cobblers) I like to use rhubarb andor cane berries, or apples (I can my own pie filling and use that).
Hi Michelle – A few nights ago, God woke me around 3:00 a.m. (I figure He gets lonely around that time as it happens so often…smile) and brought you to mind so you/yours were tucked in prayer.
I’ve never canned my own pie filling and I need to; thanks for the nudge.
What wonderful memories of your mother; I bet you can taste the pastry now!