Peach and Pistachio Cobbler

9 July 2010 · 69 comments

Peaches are sweet and abundant for summer. Now is the opportune time to enjoy these fresh, stone fruits in baked goods, smoothies, desserts, main and side dishes …peach tinis and teas. Juicy, sweet and seasonal peaches are fantastic grilling fruit too. The caramelization of the sugars from the peach lend to an even sweeter tasting fruit and texture that is welcoming on a warm Summer’s day with a dollop of sweet cream or vanilla ice cream.

Don’t let the season escape you without enjoying some homemade goodness, baking up traditional desserts like peach pie and peach cobblers. I had a delicious experience trying a recipe for Peach and Pistachio Cobbler from the Fruit Dessert cookbook, part of the Williams Sonoma Collection. What I liked about this recipe was the firm cobbler topping, it wasn’t soggy or mushy and it held up well to envelope and protect all the juicy fruit and juices waiting below. The sugary-cinnamon sprinkled on top before baking, adds to the warm presentation and the natural crimson and gold colors of the baked peaches are brilliant. The sweetness comes from the peaches, not the cobbler’s topping.

Time Saving Tip:
Invested a mere $12 for a peach pitter/slicer (check out Williams Sonoma). One of my best and most useful kitchen gadget investments. The amount of time it saves and the evenly sliced fruit has me quickly moving on to other things.

I sure could’ve used one of these pitters when I was attempting slices from a mango for the Rum-Glazed Shrimp and Mango with Spinach dish (notice no mangoes in the photographs). The process turned out to be a big, juicy mess with much frustration. My next kitchen gadgets investment will be both a mango and cherry pitters (hint, hint to Hubby).

Teenie Notes

I enjoy nuts in my baked goods. If you do too, adding more pistachios wouldn’t hurt.
If you enjoy using peaches in your baking and cooking, the small investment made in adding a pitter/slicer specifically for peaches will be invaluable in your kitchen gadgets repertoire.
The original recipe calls for whole milk. I used low-fat or 2% milk and it turned out great.
If you like a sweet cobbler toppings, I would suggest you add more sugar. It was perfect for me because the peaches are at their sweetest right now so I didn’t need the topping to compensate for tartness.
Do let the cobbler cool for at least 30 minutes to an hour before slicing into it so that the sweet, syruppy peaches have time to thicken up.

Peach and Pistachio Cobbler

source adapted from Fruit Dessert by Williams Sonoma Collection

Peaches

Makes 8 – 12 Servings

Ingredients

Peach Filling
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
8-10 peaches, pitted and sliced 1 inch thick (your option to peel or not)

Topping
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted pistachios, finely chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 cup low-fat/2% milk

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use non-stick spray to coat a 12-inch oval or 9×13 inch rectangular baking dish with a 2 quart capacity.

Prepare Filling: In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Place the peaches in a large bowl, sprinkle with the sugar mixture and gently toss to distribute sugar mixture evenly through peaches. Spread the peach mixture in the prepared baking dish and set aside while you prepare the topping.

Peach and Pistachio Cobbler - Topping Prep
Peach and Pistachio Cobbler – Prepare Topping

Prepare Topping: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, pistachios, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Using a pastry blender, large fork or your fingers, cut or rub the butter into the flour mixture until the texture looks like coarse cornmeal. Leave some pieces of butter about the size of a small pea. Add milk and stir/incorporate just until the mixture pulls together.

Pinch off chunks of the dough and place them on top of the peach mixture. Work through to cover completely with topping.

In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top of the dough. Bake until the topping is firm and golden brown and the peach/sugar filling bubbles slowly, about 40-50 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let the cobbler cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Peach and Pistachio Cobbler