Peach Cobbler with Crisp Drop-Biscuit Top

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A true one-dish cobbler: jammy, lightly spiced peaches bubbling under craggy buttermilk drop biscuits that bake up golden and sugar-crackled on top while staying tender where they meet the fruit. The filling gets a 15-minute head start in the oven so the dough hits hot, thickened peaches and sets fast instead of going gummy. Works year-round with fresh, frozen, or canned peaches.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lb ripe peaches, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick (about 7 cups; see tips for frozen or canned)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2/3 cup cold buttermilk, plus 1 tbsp if needed

• 2 tbsp turbinado or other coarse sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• vanilla ice cream or lightly whipped cream, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle. Set a 2-quart baking dish (a 9-inch square or a 10-inch cast-iron skillet both work) on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet to catch drips.
2. Make the filling: in a large bowl, toss the peach slices with the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp salt until no dry streaks of cornstarch remain. Scrape into the baking dish, spread level, and dot the top with the 1 tablespoon of butter.
3. Bake the filling alone for 15 to 20 minutes, until the juices are bubbling around the edges and visibly thickened and glossy. This pre-bake is what keeps the biscuits from steaming into raw dough underneath.
4. While the fruit bakes, make the topping: whisk the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt in a bowl. Add the cold cubed butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips (or cut in with a pastry blender) until the largest pieces are the size of small peas.
5. Pour in the 2/3 cup cold buttermilk and stir with a fork just until a shaggy, sticky dough forms, about 10 strokes. Add the extra tablespoon of buttermilk only if there is dry flour left in the bowl. Do not knead. Refrigerate the bowl until the fruit comes out of the oven.
6. Stir the coarse sugar with the 1/4 tsp cinnamon in a small bowl.
7. Pull the hot dish from the oven. Drop the dough in 8 rough mounds (a scant 1/4 cup each) over the bubbling peaches, spacing them out and leaving gaps of exposed fruit so steam can escape — those gaps are the difference between crisp tops and soggy ones. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the dough.
8. Return to the oven and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the biscuits are deep golden and firm to the touch and the filling bubbles thickly up through the gaps. A skewer poked into the center of the tallest biscuit should come out with no wet batter; if the tops brown before the centers set, tent loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes.
9. Let the cobbler rest 20 to 30 minutes before serving. The filling continues to thicken as it cools and will be soupy if you dig in immediately. Serve warm, spooning fruit and juices over each biscuit, with ice cream or whipped cream.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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