As summer begins to unfortunately wind down, it's time to take advantage of those last few harvests of fresh fruit at the farmer's markets. To that end, I submit to you one of my favorite (and easiest to make) fruit desserts, an individual peach cobbler. It was the big hit at our last You Pick Two dinner and I have made it a few times since then for company. I adapted it from a Martha Stewart recipe I discovered over 10 years ago.
These individual servings of golden deliciousness need only a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whip cream to finish them off. Although frankly they could be eaten without any adornment and still taste fantastic. This is also a flexible recipe, feel free to substitute other fruits that you prefer - just be aware fruits like blackberries and raspberries can give off more liquid than peaches and you may need to add a little more flour. To cook the cobbler, you will need about eight 8-oz ramekins. You could also make them in four large soufflé dishes, just add a few more minutes of cooking time. Regardless, make sure to put a piece of parchment under the ramekins to keep any sugary liquid or batter that overflows from becoming a permanent part of your baking sheet.
Cup O'Cobbler
Ingredients
4-5 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced (about 4 to 5 cups)
1/4 cup bourbon
1 cup granulated sugar
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 cup of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 cup of whole milk
Directions
1. Pit and slice the peaches. In a large bowl combine the peaches, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the bourbon. Stir to combine and let sit for at least 15 minutes, and up to 2 hours.
2. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment and place the ramekins on the parchment-lined pan. Place 1 tablespoon of butter in the bottom of each ramekin. Transfer to the oven until the butter is melted and bubbling, about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar, the flour, the baking powder, the nutmeg, and the salt. Add the milk slowly, whisking as you go, until completely combined.
4. Remove the ramekins from the oven. Divide the batter evenly among the hot ramekins. Spoon an equal amount of peach slices (and some juice) into the center of each ramekin, keeping a small outer edge of batter.
5. Return to the oven and bake until the tops of the cobblers are golden brown, or about 1 hour.
