Fall in Southern California doesn’t look a whole lot different than it does in the summer, and I’m not complaining! But being from the East Coast, I sometimes do miss the true transitions between the seasons and the fun things that accompany it, like the turning of the leaves, the air getting crisper and being able to layer up and wear scarves and boots. With Fall finally ushering out the sweltering California heat waves, it’s starting to feel a little bit more like autumn around here, and I wanted to bake something that would properly bid adieu to summer.
I rode my beach cruiser to the market to look for inspiration. I came across the last summer’s crop of peaches and thought, what better way to send off summer than with a peach cobbler? I picked up the last perfect batch of peaches, and happily rode home.
Upon coming home, I realized that all of my pie pans had somehow ended up at my bakery, so I decided to improvise and bake the cobbler in a deep, cast iron sauté pan I had lying around. Turns out, it was the perfect pan to use since the side handles came in handy for pulling the cobbler out of the oven. I think I’m going to use this pan more often!
My cobbler topping is a soft biscuit-like dough. I took a clean, perfect shell I had picked up at the beach several weeks ago and used it to press into the dough to give my cobbler a beautiful beachy pattern.
Enjoy this cobbler warm topped with some lemon sorbet, and reminisce about your summer with every delicious bite.
Beach Town Baking’s “Goodbye to Summer” Peach Cobbler
Makes one 10-inch sauté or pie pan
3 pounds yellow peaches, ripe
½ cup sugar
¼ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon cornstach
1 large lemon
Biscuit topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ cup buttermilk
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Peel and pit the peaches:
Score the pointed tip of the peaches with an X using a sharp paring knife. Bring a pot of water to a low boil over medium heat. Submerge the peaches in the water for about one minute (the less ripe, the more time you will need to boil them). Remove the peaches and dunk them in an ice bath until completely cool. Gently peel the peaches by pulling at the skin by the scored X or rubbing it off gently with your thumb. If the skin does not come off easily, repeat the boiling and cooling steps again. Using a sharp knife, slice the peaches in halves and gently remove the pits. Slice the peaches lengthwise to get 6 – 7 slices per halve. Set aside the slices in a large bowl.
Whisk together the sugar, orange juice and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for one minute. Pour the mixture over the peaches and stir to coat the peaches. Transfer peaches to a 10-inch oven-proof sauté pan or pie pan. Squeeze the juice of the lemon evenly over the peaches.
Make the topping:
In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix all the ingredients on medium speed until a smooth dough forms. On a floured surface, pat the dough into an 8-inch circle. Press a clean seashell firmly into the dough to transfer the design. Cut into 8 wedges and place them over the peaches.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until the biscuits feel firm when pressed. Let cool at room temperature. Serve with lemon sorbet or vanilla ice cream.