By late August in Mississippi, summer has worn out its welcome just a little bit.
The school buses are rolling again, football fields are coming back to life, and there may even be a pumpkin or two showing up on store shelves. But step outside around lunchtime, and Mississippi will quickly remind you that fall has not arrived just yet.
So, before we rush summer out the door, there is still time to enjoy one of its sweetest gifts: peaches.
And there may be no better way to do that than with a warm, old-fashioned peach cobbler.
Peach cobbler is one of those desserts that doesn’t need much explaining in the South. It has appeared at Sunday dinners, church potlucks, family reunions and grandmother’s kitchen tables for generations. It’s not particularly fancy, and that’s part of its charm.
A good cobbler is supposed to look homemade.
The peaches bubble around the edges. The buttery topping turns golden brown. The kitchen smells like cinnamon and sugar, and somebody inevitably asks whether there’s any vanilla ice cream in the freezer.
There should be, by the way.
Fresh peaches are wonderful for this recipe, especially while they’re still available, but don’t let the lack of them stop you. Frozen peaches work beautifully, too. Southern cooks have never been particularly interested in making dessert harder than it has to be.
This cobbler is simple enough to make on a Sunday afternoon and good enough to make everyone wander through the kitchen asking, “Is it ready yet?”
Old-Fashioned Southern Peach Cobbler
Ingredients
For the peaches:
- 6–8 fresh peaches, peeled and sliced (about 5 cups)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the butter in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and put the dish in the oven for a few minutes, just until the butter melts. Remove it from the oven and set aside.
In a large bowl, gently toss the sliced peaches with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice and cornstarch. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes so the peaches can begin releasing their juices.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the milk until just combined.
Pour the batter evenly over the melted butter. Do not stir.
Spoon the peach mixture, along with all those wonderful juices, evenly over the batter. Again, resist the urge to stir it.
Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until the cobbler is golden brown and bubbling around the edges.
Let it rest for about 10–15 minutes before serving.
Spoon it into bowls while it’s still warm and top it with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Because while August in Mississippi may be hot, a warm bowl of peach cobbler with melting vanilla ice cream somehow still makes perfect sense.
Summer will give way to pumpkins, pecans, apples and sweet potatoes soon enough. But this Sunday, we’re giving peaches one more turn at the table.
And we don’t think anybody will complain.
