I've made cobblers for years. The last thing my mother ever made before she passed away when I was 19 was an apple cobbler. I don't make my cobblers anything like she did. She used the old fashioned pie crust layers. She would put in one layer of fruit/sugar mixture and then a layer of the dough. Then she would take the hot cobbler out of the oven and do another layer. It was good! It was also labor intensive.
My Aunt Bill, says that this is called a Lazy Day Cobbler, Cook's Country says it's Texas-Style Cobbler. I think it's just a melding of all my experiences with cobbler throughout the years. The batter rises up beautifully over the fruit and it's all mixed together. It takes a little while to make, but nothing like the time my mother's did. If I had one wish today, it would be that my mother could still cook with me. Because there are only three of us at home, I usually divide this from a 9x13 dish to two 9 inch baking dishes. One we have at home and one I can carry to someone or take to church for lunches. One of these will go to church tomorrow with me as we celebrate a successful Vacation Bible School and make our pastor into a Sundae! He's going to let the kids pour Sundae ingredients all over him. He's a really good sport and members of the church are sponsoring him to raise money. :)
For the filling:
2 pounds of ripe peaches, peeled.
2 packages dried peaches, chopped into quarter inch pieces.
1 cup sugar divided
1 whole lemon, grated for zest
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
Place dried peaches in a small saucepan and add 1/2 cup sugar and just enough water to cover the peaches over high heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until peaches are tender.
Cut up ripe, fresh peaches into a bowl and mix with remaining cup of sugar. Drain cooked peaches and add peaches to fresh peaches. Add lemon zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir well. Set aside.
Batter:
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted in pan or pans in a 350 degree oven.
2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup milk
Mix dry ingredients in medium bowl. Add butter to pans and heat in oven until the butter is melting and starting to just brown. Remove pans from the oven. Add the milk and stir well. Pour the melted butter into the batter and whisk until everything is combined and batter is very smooth. Pour the batter into the pan or equally into two pans if dividing. With a large spoon dollop peach mixture on top of the batter. Place pan in center of oven on the middle rack or divide between two racks and rotate half way through baking.
Bake for 45-60 minute when the batter rises and is golden brown. Enjoy! This cobbler is best served warm with vanilla ice cream.
