Bourbon Peach Cobbler

Last weekend Johnny and his dad attended our cousin Tim’s retirement ceremony from the Air Force.  It was held in Warner Robbins, just south of Macon, GA.  On their way home, they stopped by the town of Fort Valley so that Johnny could show his dad around Lane Southern Orchards.  Two years ago, Johnny and I visited Lane Orchards after attending the Georgia Peach Festival.  Lane’s peach cobbler and ice cream are so addicting, we knew we wanted to come back for more every year.  Although I could not make it to the farm this summer, Johnny made sure to bring me back some peaches and cider.

Using Lane Southern Orchard’s peaches, Johnny created his own peach cobbler, infused with a touch of bourbon.  The result:  peach cobbler that melts in your mouth, is not overly sweet, and you can taste the freshness of the fruits.

The recipe used (and shown below) is from Tyler Florence.  The original can be found here.

Ingredients

Ingredients for bourbon peach cobbler

8 peaches, peeled and sliced (6 to 8 cups)
1/4 cup bourbon
3/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sticks cold unsalted butter
3/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine the peaches, bourbon, 1/4 cup sugar, the cornstarch and cinnamon in a large bowl and toss to coat.

Peaches, bourbon, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon

Sift the flour, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, the baking powder and salt into a bowl. Cut 1 1/2 sticks of the butter into small pieces; add to the flour mixture and cut it in with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

Mixture of flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter

Pour in the cream and mix just until the dough comes together. Don’t overwork; the dough should be slightly sticky but manageable.

Melt the remaining 1/2 stick butter in a large cast-iron skillet or pot over medium-low heat. Add the peach mixture and cook gently until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Cooking down the peaches in melted butter

At this point, transfer the mixture to a 2-quart baking dish.  (I made two smaller cobblers to share with family and friends, so I used two smaller baking dishes.)

Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls over the warm peaches. (There can be gaps because the dough will puff up and spread as it bakes.) Brush the top with some heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar and a little extra cinnamon.

Ready to go in the oven

Bake in the oven on a baking sheet (to catch any drips) until the cobbler is browned and the fruit is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes.

Bubbling peach cobbler fresh out of the oven

A serving of peach cobbler