Blueberry & Peach Cobbler

“I was away, but now I’m back!”  What movie is that from?  That line occurred to me when I realized that it’s been more than a month since I last blogged.  I’m not sure what happened.  Slipped a gear?  Fell into a coma?  Was consumed by Vacation Bible School?  I guess I just needed to take a break, and today seemed as good as any other to get back in the blogging saddle.

I haven’t been away from cooking.  In fact, I am continuing to have a blast in the kitchen, and can’t wait to share some of what’s been cookin’.  Instead of sharing some of the earlier dishes, I have to share one I just made.  It was so good, I made another within a couple of days.

Believe it or not, peaches are already in season.  A stop by Renninger’s Farm in Royersford revealed a whole bunch of tree-ripened peaches from Weaver’s Orchard in Morgantown.  Wow…and were they delicious!  Their fragrance filled the kitchen within a few minutes, and I was very glad I purchased extra to enjoy over my morning cereal.

Renninger’s still has blueberries, and that got me to thinking…why do we have to limit cobbler to peaches?  I decided to combine the two into a single cobbler dessert.  The result was stellar, but not without a few foibles.

BLUEBERRY & PEACH COBBLER

(click on any image to enlarge it)

First, I’ll refer you to an earlier post, from last August.  It was the first time I had made peach cobbler in a long, long time.  This recipe is practically identical.  The only change is the addition of a pint of fresh blueberries.

Ingredients:

6-8 medium peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced (about 3-4 cups)

½ cup granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

¼ ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 pint fresh blueberries

For the dough:

3 Tablespoons shortening

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup milk

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400°.

The first step is to peel and slice the peaches.  To easily peel fresh peaches, dip them in boiling water.  Remove the saucepan from the heat source and allow the peach to remain submerged for one minute.  The skins will just slip off, effortlessly.  Cut the peaches in half, remove the pit and slice into thin wedges.  See the post from last August for more detailed instructions, including additional step-by-step pictures.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon.  Stir in the peaches and the lemon juice.  Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and boils.  Allow to boil for one minute.  Fold in the fresh blueberries, being careful not to crush them.

Pour the peach and blueberry mixture into an ungreased 2-quart casserole.  I’ve been told that it helps to keep the peach and blueberry mixture hot, which you can do in your pre-heated oven, (just don’t let it in there for too long).

Now for the first foible:  To make the cobbler dough, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl.  Here’s where I messed up.  See where is says 3 Tablespoons of shortening?  I misread and added 3 cups of flour instead of just one.  I then, (reading correctly), added the 3 Tablespoons of shortening, and began to cut the shortening in using a pastry blender.  I couldn’t figure out for the life of me why fine crumbs weren’t forming.  Adding the milk, I realized something was seriously wrong.  I also realized that because I had already added the milk, cutting in more shortening was impossible.  I decided to add 6 Tablespoons of canola oil in its place, along with tripling all other ingredients.

Needless to say, I had plenty of cobbler dough.  After placing dollops on top of the hot peach and blueberry mixture, I baked the remaining dough into shortcakes, (which are great with fresh sliced and crushed strawberries served over them, topped off with some fresh whipped cream).

The second foible involved miscalculating the volume of the finished peach and blueberry mixture.  Adding a full pint of fresh blueberries increases the amount.  I was very glad that I baked the cobbler on a cookie sheet.  A significant amount of “juice” cooked over the sides of the casserole.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until the cobbler “biscuits” are golden brown.  Serve warm with cream, milk, or ice cream.  (It’s delicious plain, too!)

Enjoy!