. . .

Do you like peaches? I do. At least, I do when they are de-furred. Yah. You read right. I don’t like the furry coat those little suckers wear. Bleck. And baking peaches really helps with this issue. (Incidentally, I don’t like string beans and kiwi for the same reason: fur.)

When 2.0 and I stood before some peaches at the market, he told me he really didn’t like them. (I’m betting the fur has been throwing him off too.) I told him I’d make a cobbler. That I’d change his mind. And he said, “I don’t think so.” And I thought to myself: fine, I’ll eat the entire peach cobbler by myself. In front of you. And you will smell it, and see it slathered with whipped cream and you will cry. But I won’t stop eating. No, I won’t stop eating. 

It’s a dance we do, you know. 2.0 says he doesn’t think he likes something, I tell him he does, then he eats the something I have made for him, admits that I was right, and asks for seconds. I know this man. I know his tastes. Why can’t he just trust me? I guess dudes are real nervous about stuff like that. Which reminds me of a man I dated once who believed I was trying to kill him because I made him spicy pasta for dinner. No lie. He thought I was trying to murder him. And then he cried. (That’s why I called him Sir Sobsalot. He was a real cry baby. And, FYI, I use the term spicy lightly – if I recall, the dish had a dash of black pepper, some red pepper flakes and a bit of grated ginger. Stupid plonker.) So, I told Sir Sobsalot that when he said he liked spicy food, I took him at his word, and that if I had actually wanted to kill him, I would have stabbed him in the eye with say, his fork. He wasn’t really happy with that explanation. But I digress.

I knew that as soon as 2.0 saw the peaches and brown sugar being mixed together that I had won the battle. There they were, glistening on the counter. Smelling all tasty like. “Maybe you’ll try some,” I said. “Yes, maybe I will,” he replied.

And, as always, I was right. The brown sugar and peaches in this cobbler get all fragrant, sweet and caramelly, and the soft doughy topping gives it all some balance. I ain’t no farmer, but I’m pretty sure peaches are in season right now. Maybe you should go get some…

. . .

Peach Cobbler – recipe adapted slightly from The Food Network (Kristina Williamson) - print and bake

For the filling:

• 4 cups peeled* and sliced fresh peaches – about 8 or 9 peaches, depending on size
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon flour

* Wash your peaches, then score the underside with an “x” using a sharp knife – don’t cut too deeply. Blanch the peaches in boiling water for about 60 seconds and then dip in an ice bath. You should then be able to remove the skins, peeling back from the points of the “x”. If blanching a large number of peaches, I recommend doing so in batches. I find that some of my peaches require a little more than 60 seconds in the boiling water to loosen the skins – you can gauge depending on ripeness. Start with 1 or 2 peaches, and then do the batch.

For the crust:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, for topping
• whipped cream or ice cream for serving (optional)