Peach and Ginger Cobbler
The first house I ever owned was a mint green 1920’s bungalow on 26th avenue here in Yakima filled to the literal ceiling with old newspapers, glass jars of paper clips, furniture and a lifetime of items left behind by the previous owners. It took two industrial size dumpsters and a lot of blood, sweat and tears to empty the house and begin to turn it into a home.
Because my husband and I were young, a little bit dumb and very naive, we jumped into remodeling the house ourselves. We ripped out carpet and refinished hardwood floors ourselves. We painted every wall, ceiling, door and cabinet in that house, eventually converting the garage and finishing the basement. The work went on for years, one of us always thinking up a new project to take on.
Early in our remodeling days, the kitchen just barely renovated, the avocado green 1950’s stove replaced with a (basic) new white oven; I got it in my head to make a peach pie. I had never made a pie before but it was late summer and peaches were ripe and available at the farmer’s market so I figured, why not…how hard could it be?
I worked on that peach pie for a full two days. I made the crust the first day and carefully peeled and sliced the peaches, a labor of love for someone who had never peeled a peach before. Finally, on day two, I put the filling together, making a ‘fancy topping’ I had seen in a magazine, which was really just a crumble topping with shredded coconut and pecan pieces mixed in. I baked the pie, opening the oven door every couple minutes to check its progress until finally it was ready.
I proudly presented the pie to my husband and in-laws who eagerly dug in. It was about one bite in when we realized the pie was a soupy mess with a crust the texture of cardboard. My father-in-law gently admitted he really doesn’t care for pie and I’m still not sure if it was specifically that pie or pie in general.
We still laugh about the infamous peach pie and how truly terrible it was but also what a sweet memory it was to sit around together laughing until we had tears in our eyes, eating the peaches straight from the pie plate, pushing the rest to the side.
The beauty of cooking and sharing it with friends and family, is it doesn’t really matter all that much how perfect the end result is, it's about the conversation that happens at the table, the inside jokes and the memories made. The idea that a recipe or meal has to be perfect keeps so many of us from attempting to cook. But the imperfect meals, the lopsided cakes, the delicious but ugly dishes are almost always the favorite. We just have to keep going.
I still haven’t nailed pie crust all these years later, honestly, I rely on Johnson Orchards for perfect pies when I need them. But cobbler I can do. And what I love about a cobbler is that it hits the spot all year round. Depending on the season and what is fresh and available (or what you have saved in your freezer), a perfect and delicious cobbler can be thrown together easily making for a special dessert any time.
This peach and ginger cobbler is one of my favorites. This recipe was inspired from Erin French’s cookbook, The Lost Kitchen. The little hint of ginger bumps up the flavor and adds an extra special touch. Of course, if ginger isn’t your favorite, don’t hesitate to skip it. Also, whatever fruit you have on hand can be swapped for the peaches. This exact recipe would be stunning with pears or apples. A mixed berry or cherry cobbler (with or without the ginger) would be lovely as well.
Peach and Ginger Cobbler
For the filling:
8 ripe but firm peaches
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (or 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger)
Grated zest and juice of a small lemon
2 teaspoons cornstarch
For the cobbler:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
6 tablespoons cold salted butter
1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
Tiny pinch nutmeg
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon raw sugar
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Start by making the filling. Peel and slice the peaches into wedges and toss them in a bowl with the ginger, brown sugar, fresh ginger, lemon zest, juice and cornstarch. Mix gently to combine. Let the mixture sit for about 10-15 minutes on the counter while you make the cobbler batter.
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and zest. Using a pastry blender or two forks, work in the cold butter until the flour-butter mixture is pea-sized. Gently mix in the candied ginger, then stir in the buttermilk, gently mixing until a dough forms. If the mixture seems too dry, add a bit more buttermilk.
Transfer the peaches into a 12-inch cast iron skillet or pie dish. If the peach mixture seems very watery, sprinkle an extra teaspoon of cornstarch over the mixture and gently stir into the peaches.
Drop eight biscuit-sized dollops of the cobbler dough on top the peaches. Sprinkle the entire dish with raw sugar and bake until the peaches are bubbling along the edges and cobbler is golden brown and cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Serve warm with a generous scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.