In a few days I’ll be hopping on another plane to a place that promises lots of good food, relaxation, sunshine and wine. It’s a trip we’ve been planning for a while, but what I wasn’t planning on was real life enveloping the weeks before and after this excursion. In this case real life means work, and work means travel, and that means I’ll be up in the air and away from home for many weeks. When I return it will no longer be summer but early fall and I can’t help but feel slightly Rip Van Winkelish about the whole damn thing.
I’ve managed to cram quite a bit of summer in the past few weeks. Dinners outdoors with best friends, long walks in the muggy streets of NYC with my blogging family, even one last hurrah at our house just the other night dedicated to the bounty of figs. Summer is my favorite season and I just don’t like to see it ending, footstomp footstomp footstomp!
(But trust me, I’ll think I’ll be ok drinking wine in Nice with this man and indulging in rioja-induced tapas crawls of marathon proportions in Spain with the hubs)
As a symbolic gesture I picked up stone fruit at the farmers’ market the other day, knowing that it could very likely be the last peach or plum I would buy and cook with at home for some time. Of course I’m looking forward to what’s around the corner but saying goodbye to stone fruit always leaves me a bit melancholy. What better way to throw it a little party than by making a cobbler. I am a Certified Cobbler Freak and it almost doesn’t matter what kind either. I don’t think anyone can go wrong with warm fruit, topping and the required scoop of ice cream. You just can’t.
I have my standard recipes for cobbler but we felt like doing something a bit different. A quick search online turned up Aida Mollenkamp’s recipe which sounded good. Little did I know it would actually turn out GREAT.
Do you know Aida? Do you watch her show on Cooking Channel? She brings a smile to my face everytime I think of her, and she’s even funnier and sillier in person. Not that I’m calling her silly, mind you. It’s just being around her makes me feel good. I do love that woman somethin’ fierce.
I’m glad that my last homemade cobbler of the summer went out with a bang. I suspect I’ll be making this cobbler for years, too. In my version I tweaked it just a bit, punctuating the wonderfully mellow peaches with tart dried cherries from my trip to Michigan. It was a match made in heaven. Speaking of heaven, those fluffy clouds of sour cream biscuits on top? Yea, they made this dish. It’s all about those biscuits.
Peach and Tart Cherry Cobbler with Sour Cream Biscuits adapted from a recipe by Aida Mollenkamp
Biscuits:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
¼ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Filling
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, seeds reserved
1 ½ pounds fresh peaches, pitted and cut into sixths
1 cup of dried tart cherries (you can find them here)
Topping
2 teaspoons sour cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 375˚ F and arrange a rack in the middle.
For the Biscuits: Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk to blend thoroughly.
With a large box grater, grate the frozen butter into the flour mixture using the large holes and then toss to coat. Smear in the sour cream and heavy cream and knead until the dough comes together with your hands. Divide into six pieces and flatten into disks; cover and reserve in the fridge.
For the fruit filling: In a large bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla seeds. Add peaches and dried cherries and mix until the fruit is evenly coated.
Put the fruit mixture into a 2-quart baking dish and top with the biscuit dough evenly across the top.
To Assemble: Brush the tops of the biscuits with sour cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until the filling is bubbling, the peaches are tender when pierces with a knife and the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool before serving. Serve with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.
I am definitely making a cobbler this weekend to celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of fall … even if it is a little early. 🙂
Yeah, I am pretty sad that the summer has zipped on by so quickly. I am trying to live it up as much as I can before all the summery colorful fruits are out of season.
Wow – that looks like the perfect way to end summer. The pictures are amazing as always!
how dare you post this when I am trying to diet!!!! hahaha! well lets be honest… the diet was due to end after 24 hours anyways! looks amazing! and I love Aida!! And you! woohoo
Oh cobbler, how I love thee…I try to make summer fruit pie, I do, and I love pie. But just about every time I do, there is a little voice in my head that says, “You really should have just made this into cobbler.” I will try this recipe soon, now that the LA heat has receded enough for me to fathom turning on an oven. Oh, and here’s a hint: to get some fresh sour cherries locally, they are in stock RIGHT NOW at all of the Russian/Armenian markets–yum! Try Super King Markets or almost any Jon’s. If you can’t find them fresh, you can always find dried sour cherries at the aforementioned places. Those Russians love their sour cherries. (I regularly mail them to my Ruskie BFF in Texas)
Matt, can’t wait to hear more about your upcoming Nice excursion! xo, Kim P.
YEP. That looks pretty damn good.
Oh, and I DO know Aida. I had the honor of lunching with her here in SF a few months ago at Swan Oyster Depot. She’s such a warm and beautiful person, I just love her.
oh
my
dear
GOD
This is so gorgeous. I really want to make this one!
As always, Matt … everything looks delightful!
This post, along with the beautiful pictures and words, makes me want to get out and buy some peaches and make this right about now! I loved your strawberry cake and blood orange caramels..I am sure I will be just as delighted with this cobbler! Yummy!
Tell you what, folks: it didn’t just LOOK gorgeous. It WAS awesome. You’re right, Matt, the biscuits made it. Now, run along and enjoy your trip. Can’t wait to read what you come up with next.
Now THIS is the way to celebrate the end of summer. Though it would be better to celebrate the end WITH you (rather than via Twitter as you jet around the world), I shall make this cobbler and raise my spoon to you. Thanks for the inspiration, beautiful photos, and lovely grin-inducing prose.
Hugs,
B
What a great “last hurrah” to summer! It sounds as though I’m going to have to contact my cable company about getting the Cooking Channel. Have a fantastic time in France.
I footstomping with you, Matt, but I don’t feel too sorry for you–Nice?, nice. I am compensating by cramming all the fruit into jars right now, but I’d quit if someone sent me to France. Have a great trip. Jealous, so so jealous.
OMG – That cobbler looks amazing! Perfect for a warm summer day and reading a great book. Enjoy your upcoming trip.
This cobbler looks sensational. I love it. Good for dummer and winter. Seeing that it is already winter here in the UK 🙁 The colour is gorgeous too. Enjoy your trip….
Oh my gosh, this look delicious! And so beautiful! Your photographs are gorgeous as well.
I’ve recently launched my own blog, I’d love for you to check it out and let me know what you think 🙂 http://www.prettygoodfood.com
Thanks, and Happy Cooking!!!
your photos are fabulous. I hope one day i can shoot as well as you!! i put you in my blog link as my inspiration!!
Best
Yue
This looks flipping awesome. I have so many things to cook and so little time. 😀 I must say I’m a fan of your photography. I need to take a page out of your book.
Cheers!
Matt Kay
Ok, ok … this is just too much! I must try this. DELISH!
This cobbler looks crazy delicious! Peaches and cherries are my 2 most favorite fruits!
I tried it and it came out very good!!!!!! Loved it.
i will try this this weekend! looks yummy!
this is so old school – i love it, no one makes this anymore even anthony bourdain said so in his show!
this is a great recipe- thanks for posting matt!
Great stuff