Double Crust Peach Cobbler
Double crust peach cobbler won the battle for inclusion in my Arkansas Originals series. While searching, I posted questions asking for advice and direction about Arkansas culinary tradition. I considered fried pies, when ultimately cobblers became the obvious choice. Everyone makes cobbler at home, but fried pies by and large are restaurant specialties.
Cobbler and the Double Crust
Southern cobblers became the sweet versions we recognize in the late 1800’s, but topped with biscuits and baked in dutch ovens over open fires. They’re traditionally made with apples, peaches and black or blueberries. The double crust cobbler is a more recent evolution. It’s non-traditional, but in my opinion represents what Neil Armstrong calls “a giant leap for mankind”.
Peach cobbler was mentioned over and over in my informal polls and peaches were the first European fruit cultivated here. One of the respondents in my informal polls was my friend Karen Joiner. She wrote that I needed to make her recipe, a double crust skillet version of which she is particularly proud.
She wasn’t lying or even exaggerating. This is the best peach cobbler I have ever eaten because it has the perfect ratio of crust to filling. It is delicious with or without a generous dollop of vanilla ice cream and is an Arkansas Original!
April 13 is National Peach Cobbler Day and I expect you will mark it on your calendar for celebration!
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- (2) 29 oz canned peaches
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 4 tsp butter
- 2 pie crusts – trim to fit your skillet if necessary
- 1 TBL butter -melted to butter top crust
- 1 TBL sugar – to sprinkle on top crust
- Vanilla Ice Cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375
- Heavily butter a cast iron skillet
- Drain and reserve 1-1/3 cups of juice from the canned peaches
- Whisk together the juice, cornstarch, sugar, and cinnamon in a large heavy bottom pan
- Bring to a boil, whisking constantly until it begins to thicken, about 4 minutes
- Remove from heat and stir in the butter until it melts, then add the fruit and stir enough to coat the peaches
- Pour half the peach/syrup mixture into the skillet
- Cover with one of the pie crusts
- Cut a few steam vents in the crust
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the crust is set and beginning to lightly brown, but not well done and crispy
- Remove from oven and add remaining peach/syrup mix
- Top with the second crust
- Brush the melted butter over the crust and sprinkle the granulated sugar on top
- Bake in the oven 40-45 minutes until top crust is golden brown
- Remove from oven and let cool 30-45 minutes
- Serve warm with a dollop (or two) of vanilla ice cream
And Just one more thing…
Thanks Karen for sharing your delicious recipe!