Texas Girl Cooks: Peach Cobbler

Peach Cobbler with Ice Cream!

As someone who regularly tracks calories and activity, (check out MyFitnessPal, http://www.myfitnesspal.com/), I try not to spend calories on foods that are low in nutrient density; excessively high in fat, sugar, or salt; and/or not to my liking. For example, foods that I used to enjoy that I now deem “not worth the calories” include corn dogs, gas station pizza, Swanson chicken pot pies, Vienna sausage, and other assorted forms of junk food. Other popular foods that I deem “not worth the calories” include funnel cakes, cream cheese frosting, cotton candy, and regular sodas. However, some foods that are not great in the nutrient density department or which are high in fat, sugar, and/or sodium are “worth the calories” to me on occasion. This list includes but is not limited to Mexican food, Thai food, chicken fried steak with gravy and mashed potatoes, pecan pie, brownies, pound cake, frosted chocolate sheet cake, peach cobbler, and ice cream.

There is nothing “low test” about this classic peach cobbler. If you want a really healthy dessert, eat a peach. If you want to spurge occasionally on a really good dessert, go for the real thing!

Peach Cobbler

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 2 quart casserole with pan spray.

Filling:

8 cups peeled, sliced peaches (about 3 lbs. peaches)
1-1/2 cups sugar
¼ cup water (or less, or none at all)
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons cornstarch (or none at all)
1 tablespoon sugar
Dash cinnamon

Pastry:

3 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
8 tablespoons water

To make pastry, add salt to flour. Using a pastry blender, cut the shortening into the flour until the fat is evenly dispersed, with pieces of fat/flour about the size of split peas. Toss cool tap water into the flour/fat mixture and stir until the dough forms a ball; I always have to use my hands at this point. Split dough into four equal balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball into a thin sheet of dough. Place a whole sheet of dough in bottom of 2 quart baking dish. Cut other portions of dough into long strips, about 1 inch wide; set aside.

Save longest strips for lattice top crust.

Use shorter or imperfect strips for interior layers that don't show.

To prepare filling, peel peaches and slice into reasonably large chunks. Place peaches in a heavy saucepan with sugar and water. If the peaches are juicy, omit or decrease the water; the purpose of the water is to keep the peaches from sticking to the bottom of the pan until juice forms. Cook peaches and sugar mixture on low heat about half an hour or until peaches are tender but not mushy. If the mixture looks too watery, remove a small amount of liquid, let it cool, and stir cornstarch into liquid until all cornstarch lumps are dissolved. Pour cornstarch mixture through a strainer into the pan with peaches; cook just until juice is thickened. Remove peaches from heat and begin layering the cobbler.

Four layers crust, three layers peaches.

Ladle one third of the peaches on the prepared bottom crust; add a few bits of butter; and place some strips of pastry on top of peaches. Repeat with one third of peaches, strips of pastry, and a little butter. Pour remaining peaches on top of the existing layers.