Peach Melba Cobbler

Peach Cobbler (with Biscuit Topping)

By Cat, July 2011 (photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

See also: 1. Peach Melba Shortcake; 2. Cobbler Biscuit Toppings

I came across this recipe in an inexpensive dessert cookbook by Pillsbury (it was in a rack by the check-out counter in my local Portland grocery store), when I was in my early 20s and just learning to cook. I invited a couple friends for a dinner of a fancy version or Top Ramen, a salad of greens, and this dessert. They were totally blown away by the dessert and its secret ingredient (ginger) which was my own idea, not part of the original recipe. Back then it was hard to find fresh ginger so I used ¼ tsp powdered ginger.

Peach Melba Cobbler

I’ve adapted this from Peach Melba Special, from Pillsbury’s Dessert Cookbook from the 1970s (1). The ginger makes this special. I prefer to use the Biscuit Topping version-II with this recipe.

I make the melba filling with stevia as written, to reduce my exposure to sugar. But you could eliminate the stevia and increase the total sugar, as indicated. Please do take the trouble to find organic cornstarch, as regular cornstarch is most likely GMO. Or you could use tapioca starch (use twice as much tapioca as cornstarch in a recipe).

Ingredients:

Biscuit Topping

• Prepare a biscuit topping for 4 biscuits. If using a presoak-flour version, start the day before you want to serve the cobbler.

Melba filling

• 1 ¼ cup wedges of fresh or frozen & thawed peaches
• 1 ¼ cups fresh or frozen & thawed raspberries
• 2 Tbsp Rapadura sugar
• ⅛ tsp stevia extract powder (or eliminate stevia and increase sugar to 4 Tbsp (¼ cup))
• 1 ½ Tbsp Organic cornstarch or 3 Tbsp tapioca starch
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ¼ cup butter

Garnishes

• Plain vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream
• ½ cup fresh or frozen & thawed raspberries, optional

Equipment:

• small saucepan
• 1 each small & medium bowls (for fruits)
• 6-inch round baking or soufflé dish

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Prepare fruit: Frozen fruit, set colander over a bowl; place fruit in colander and allow to drain; reserve juices; Fresh fruits, blanch, peel, and slice peaches. Combine in bowl with rinsed raspberries and toss with 2 Tbsp of the sugar and let rest so juices will collect. Then drain to reserve the juices.
3. While fruit is draining, prepare biscuit dough.
4. Combine remaining sweetener with starch, ginger and butter in saucepan. Add reserved juices to saucepan and whisk well. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until thickened. Stir in fruit. Remove from heat and pour into baking dish.
5. Drop biscuit dough by large spoon, into 4 portions on top of the filling. Sprinkle with a bit of sugar over topping.
6. Bake in preheated oven 35 – 40 minutes until topping is golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool just a bit.
7. Serve with dollops of whipped cream or ice cream, and top with fresh raspberries. Prepare to be dazzled!

References

1. Pillsbury’s Dessert Cookbook from the 1970s