Southern Peach Cobbler

Ahhhh....I'm seeing a light at the end of the summer-tunnel (although we here in beautiful Chattanooga have been blessed with a not-all-the-horribly-hot-and-humid-summer).  And in that vein, we are in peak of Georgia peach season.  We're only about a mile from the Peach State and the peach is at its sweetest and juiciest.

Hence, the cobbler.  I love to cook, but I am not a baker.  More specifically, I have a morbid fear of yeast and pie crusts.  But cobblers, bettys (or is it betties?), and buckles are a different story.  You simply can't mess these up!  And if you are as fortunate as I was to run across the peak-of-perfection peach, you are in a for a real treat.  Okay, so the peaches alone are good enough, but this cobbler is so good you will be tempted to eat it raw!

While best served still warm (while the crust still has a bit of crunch to it) with vanilla ice cream, don't be surprised to find yourself sneaking in the frig at 3 a.m. for a little bite.

SOUTHERN PEACH COBBLER (serves 1-6!)

Base:
8 fresh peaches,peeled, pitted, and sliced into thin wedges
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp cornstarch

Topping:
1/4 cup AP flour
1/4 cup white suguar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter, chilled, and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup boiling water

2 Tbsp white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425F.  In a large bowl, combine peaches, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch.  Toss to coat evenly and pour into a two quart baking dish.  Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, start on the topping.  Combine flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt.  Blend in butter with a fork or pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Stir in the water until just combined.

Remove peaches from oven and drop spoonfuls of the topping over them.  Sprinkle entire cobbler with the cinnamon-sugar mixture and return to oven.  Bake until the topping is golden, about 30 minutes.