There are some things that deserve to be repeated, over and over again, like a most favorite song. For me, one of those things has become Buttermilk Pie. Now, in Guatemala there’s no such thing as buttermilk, so we have to improvise a little with regular milk and vinegar, but this easy and tasty pie has now been made by more than a dozen lovely young women in orphanages. All the kids and caregivers love it.
And for those young women, learning skills like baking is another arrow in the arsenal against abuse and human trafficking when they age out. I don’t know if my friend Susie understands the power of her pie. But I’m thankful she shared her recipe.
There is another recipe in my life that has been shared over and over again. I’ve been wracking my brain, trying to remember the very first “yay, you had a baby!” or “get all healed up soon!” meal I ever cooked, but as hard as I try, I simply lose track of time. Though some of the menu items have changed, one thing has remained the same: peach cobbler. And not just any peach cobbler, mind you. This one has all the things that make a dessert perfect – cinnamon and sugar and heavy cream and lots of butter. It’s super-easy to make too (especially if you cheat like me and use frozen rather than fresh peaches). And as my little friend Lexi once said, it’s “awesome delicious.” (Lexi was a “big sister” who loved good food as much as she loved her new baby sister.) I can’t wait to adapt this recipe and teach it to my sweet friends in Guatemala. We’ll use apples instead of peaches, and a combination of crema (it’s like sour cream, only not as tart) and milk in place of the heavy cream. It will be delicious.
This cobbler may be a bit different from others you’ve tried. You’ll be spreading batter rather than shaping biscuits, dropping dumplings, or rolling out crusts. Let that batter work its magic, and you’ll have a crispy, melt-in-your-mouth crust and a cobbler that’s light AND rich at the same time. It’s great with a big helping of ice cream. But in my opinion, it’s best served up warm and unadorned.
Now, Susie also has a recipe for cherry cobbler with a perfect crust and sparkling sugar. And she let me be part of an amazing moment baking Peach-Lavender Cobbler. You should try them too. In fact, try them all. Right now. Your family and friends will thank you for the triple-love. But, no matter what you do, find that thing that deserves repeating. Then share it – over and over again – like a favorite song. You never know – it just might change a life.
AWESOME DELICIOUS PEACH COBBLER (8 to 10 servings, unless you’re me. Then it’s one big, crazy-good moment.)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 t. ground cinnamon
2 packages (1-pound each) frozen sliced peaches, thawed and drained (if you use fresh peaches, you’ll want about 3 pounds, peeled and sliced)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 t. pumpkin pie spice (or equal amounts cinnamon and nutmeg)
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup butter, melted
Cinnamon-sugar for sprinkling on the top
Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, mix brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and peaches until fruit is well-coated; place in a greased shallow 2-1/2 quart casserole. In a medium mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, spice, baking powder, and salt; add whipping cream and butter until well blended. Spoon batter over fruit, and spread it around to try to cover all the fruit. Sprinkle to your heart’s content with cinnamon-sugar.
NOTE: It may look like you don’t have enough batter. Trust me, it’s all OK. You’ll be fine.
Bake until crust is a deep rich golden brown and fruit filling is bubbly (about 45 minutes). Allow to cool slightly before indulging.