Peach Cobbler with Biscuit Topping

I have a confession: I went to college at Emory University and lived in Atlanta, Georgia for four years. I’m not sure how it happened, but I did not eat a single peach while living in “The Peach State”!

I am pretty sure it was my best friend Pamela (a Southern girl) who turned me on to Colorado peaches shortly after I moved to Boulder. She is also who gave me this original recipe for peach cobbler.

I honestly never loved fruit-based desserts. For most of my life my feeling was, “if it’s not chocolate, it’s not dessert”! 

I’ve certainly changed my feeling about this over time and I now can appreciate a good cobbler or crisp, especially when made with fruits at the peak of their season.

Over the years, I have adapted this peach cobbler recipe to my personal dietary needs and preferences. This recipe can easily be suited for anyone who avoids gluten, dairy, eggs, soy or nuts. (Although when our PA, Ara, ate this the other day, she suggested we add chopped pecans to the biscuit topping—which could be fun!) Since I generally make this in the summer when peaches are simply magical, I’ve been able to cut down on added sweeteners as well.

If you’ve never used a pastry cutter, it’s a worthwhile and inexpensive investment. In this recipe, it is used to work the solid fat (butter, ghee, vegan butter, or coconut oil) into the flour to create a dough for the biscuit topping. This 1-minute video will show you how simple it is to use. 

Peach Cobbler with Biscuit Topping
by Debbie Steinbock

Ingredients:
6-8 large peaches, peeled and cut into thin slices
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1.5 tsp. tapioca flour

for biscuit topping:
1 cup Bob’s Red Mill GF 1 to 1 baking flour 
1/3 cup maple sugar 
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
5-6 Tbsp. of butter, ghee or dairy-free alternative (earth balance soy free buttery sticks or coconut oil)

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In an 8×8 glass baking dish, combine the sliced peaches, maple syrup and tapioca flour; bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring once.
While the peaches are baking, make the biscuit topping:
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, maple sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry cutter, add the butter or dairy-free butter.
4. Remove warmed peaches from the oven; using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, drop the biscuit topping mixture on top of the peaches (approximately 6 scoops).
5. Bake for 25-minutes and then let sit for approximately 10 minutes before serving.
6. You may choose to serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.