What is a cobbler? According to the Oxford Dictionary the word traces back to 1859 and is “a sort of pie, baked in a pot lined with dough of great thickness, upon which the fruit is placed; according to the fruit, it is an apple or a peach cobbler.” This pastry evolved into a “waste not, want not” fruit dish; whereas, hard or overripen fruit would be used, not necessarily the perfect pieces of fruit. Essentially, cobblers are “deep dish dessert casseroles made of a sweetened fruit that forms a thick syrup when cooked.”

Ingredients:

6 large or 8 medium peaches, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons minced candied ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided

3+ cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

2 cups half and half
2 tablespoons melted butter, cooled slightly

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease eight 4” ramekins or 8 or 9” baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, mix the peaches, ½ cup sugar, cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and candied ginger.
3. Pour peach mixture evenly amongst ramekins or the bottom of a 9” inch baking pan.
4. In a large bowl using a whisk combine flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt, ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, and baking powder.
5. Add 2 cups half and half. Gently fold the liquid into the dry ingredients, taking care not to work the dough too much.
6. Add additional flour in small amounts as needed, until the dough is slightly sticky. Some dry spots are fine, just do not overwork the dough.
7. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top with flour, and gently press the dough into a flat circle with your fingers, about 1” thick.
8. Use a floured cutter to cut the dough into at least eight 3”– 4” shapes. To keep from overworking the dough, cut the shapes as close together as you can to get the most out of the dough.
9. Top with dough shapes; brush melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon atop dough shapes.
10. Place the baking dish or ramekins on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until the tops of the biscuits are golden brown and the peach mixture is bubbling all over, rotating halfway through. For ramekins the bake time is about 20 minutes, and for the baking dish the bake time is about 30 minutes.
11. Serve with dollops of whipped cream or ice cream.

Makes 8 servings.