Peaches and blueberries tossed in the skillet and baked under a clumpy butter topping. Eight servings.
The rest is part of the recipe
Twenty five to thirty minutes before serving, which the source builds into its stated time.
Two tablespoons of cornstarch thicken the fruit juices, but that thickening happens as the cobbler cools rather than in the oven. Served straight out, the filling is a hot liquid that runs across the plate.
Twenty five minutes lets it set to a spoonable consistency. It is still warm at that point, which is how you want it.
Everything goes in the skillet
Fruit tossed directly in the pan, which is the whole appeal.
No separate mixing bowl for the filling. Add the fruit, then the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla and spices, and toss gently until coated.
Gently is the operative word. Sliced ripe peaches break down if stirred hard, and you want them in recognisable pieces.
A full cup of melted butter in the topping
Against only one cup of flour.
That is an unusually high ratio and it is what makes this topping clumpy rather than sandy. Stirred in melted, the butter binds the flour and sugar into thick clusters.
Stir until a thick clumpy topping forms and stop. Overworking gives a paste that bakes into a solid lid.
Salted butter is specified, and there is no additional salt in the topping.
Leave openings for the fruit
Which the method specifies and which is not just for looks.
Gaps let steam escape from the fruit below. A completely sealed topping traps it, and the underside of the crust stays wet and doughy.
The bubbling fruit coming through the gaps is also the doneness cue.
Bubbling in the centre, not just the edges
Forty five to fifty five minutes at 350F.
Edge bubbling starts early, since the pan sides heat first. The centre is the last part to reach temperature, and cornstarch needs to actually boil to thicken properly.
Golden topping plus bubbling in the middle is the pair of cues. One without the other means it needs longer.
Vanilla in both layers
Two teaspoons in the fruit and one in the topping.
That is a generous amount and it is doing more than it would in a cake. Against peaches and blueberries, vanilla rounds the fruit and makes it taste riper than it is, which helps considerably with supermarket peaches out of peak season.
Extract rather than essence, since the difference shows in something this simple.
Cast iron holds heat
A 10 to 12 inch skillet.
That is useful here in two ways. It gives even bottom heat that helps the fruit come up to temperature, and it keeps the cobbler warm through the twenty five minute rest.
It also means the pan stays hot long after it leaves the oven. Use a cloth and warn anyone reaching for it.
Fresh peaches, peeled
Five cups, which is roughly six to eight medium.
Peeling matters more with peaches than with most fruit. The skins separate during baking and end up as tough curls through the filling.
Scoring and blanching for thirty seconds makes peeling easy if they are firm. Ripe ones peel with a knife.
Two tablespoons of cornstarch
For seven cups of fruit.
Peaches and blueberries both release a lot of juice. Without it you get a delicious soup under a crust.
Toss it with the fruit while everything is dry, so it disperses before the juices start running.
Frozen fruit
The recipe is built on fresh. Frozen peaches and blueberries carry more water, so add an extra tablespoon of cornstarch and expect a longer bake. Do not thaw them first.
Serving
Warm with vanilla ice cream, which the source suggests. At 402 calories a serving this is rich, and the ice cream is a genuine addition rather than a garnish.
Cast Iron Peach Blueberry Cobbler
Description
A no-fuss skillet cobbler with fresh summer fruit and a thick buttery crumble.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350F.
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Add the peeled sliced peaches and blueberries directly to a 10 to 12 inch cast iron skillet. Add the brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and toss gently until the fruit is evenly coated, taking care not to break up the peach slices.
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Combine the flour, sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Add the melted butter and vanilla and stir until a thick clumpy topping forms, then stop.
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Crumble the topping evenly over the fruit, leaving a few openings for the fruit to bubble through so steam can escape.
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Bake until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling in the centre as well as at the edges, 45 to 55 minutes.
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Let the cobbler rest 25 to 30 minutes before serving, which is when the cornstarch sets the filling. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, taking care as the skillet stays hot..
Note
The 25 to 30 minute rest is part of the recipe rather than optional: the cornstarch thickens as the cobbler cools, so served straight from the oven the filling runs across the plate. Toss the fruit gently in the skillet, since sliced ripe peaches break down if stirred hard. The topping uses a full cup of melted butter against one cup of flour, which is what makes it clumpy; stir until thick clusters form and stop, as overworking gives a solid lid. Leave openings in the topping so steam escapes, or the underside stays doughy. Look for bubbling in the centre as well as the edges, since cornstarch must actually boil to thicken. Peel the peaches, as the skins turn to tough curls. Toss the cornstarch with dry fruit so it disperses before the juices run. The skillet stays hot long after baking.