It's that time of year. Peaches are on. And they're soooo good from the farmer's market. You can smell them as you walk the aisles...
I have a special casserole dish that I love to use for cobbler – vintage Corning Pyrex, in the distinctive ribbed berries and twining vines of the Gooseberry pattern, in pink and white. I don’t know how long Corning made this pattern. My educated guess says it was in the 1960s or 1970s, but it is now discontinued. I got a set of three Gooseberry dishes at a “granny sale” years ago, and I’ve enjoyed using them ever since.
The bowl is Haeger, bought from JC Penney some years ago. (Works for ice cream as well as cobbler...)
My favorite cobbler recipe is of older vintage. It came to me from a neighbor 30 years ago, and it smacks of having been around a lot longer. The sweet, fruity smell of mouth-watering cobbler is sure to bring your family to the table long before the dish is ready, especially if you use fresh fruit instead of canned.
This cobbler is very simple and very good. Here’s your excuse to get out your favorite baking dish, and combine the art of the food and the art of the bakeware into a masterpiece. Enjoy!
Essie’s Cobbler
¼ cup creamed butter or margarine (was oleo)
½ cup granulated sugar (plus ¼ c. extra)
1 cup flour
2 t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
½ c. milk
1 quart sliced fruit (best with fresh fruit in season)
Cream butter and sugar together. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add this dry mixture to creamed mixture, alternating with milk, to make a thick batter. Best to do this by hand, as over beating will make the cobbler tough.
Grease a 1.5 quart casserole or baking dish. Spread the batter in the bottom of the dish.
If using fresh fruit, prepare and slice it, then add the extra ¼ c. sugar. Leave it to set while you prepare the batter, so that some juice will form.
Add the sliced fruit on top of the batter. If using canned fruit, add the extra ¼ c. sugar at this stage, depending on sweetness desired.
Dot top with butter and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. The batter will bubble up through the fruit and make a delicious dessert that’s great plain, or with a side of ice cream.
