Single Serving Peach Cobbler

I've been eating peaches every day. Usually I have a snack in the afternoon and peaches are the star. Yesterday it was three peaches. Yum. But I figured I could eat more. I certainly have them. So I made a peach cobbler. Not a huge big thing. I created a fruit cobbler recipe that makes just one ramekin of cobbler. I can use up small bits of fruit. And since it is just me eating it, I don't have to deal with a large cobbler that is too much to eat. And each time I make it is is fresh. I wish I had taken a photo of it last night. But it was gobbled up too fast. Oh my was it good. That decided me. I was going to preserve some peaches so I could eat this in the winter, when I really need the fresh taste of peaches and there aren't a ton of them on my counter.

Peaches are acidic fruit so as long as it is just fruit, sugar, and lemon juice, I'm all set with doing a water bath can of these. It doesn't matter the proportions. My cobbler last night was a touch too sweet and I used 1 1/2 T of sugar to 3/4 c+ of peaches. This time I used 6 cups cut up and smooshed down peaches with 3/8 c sugar, and 2 T lemon juice. Just for the record that is still a bit too sweet. I'm wondering if these peaches need sugar at all. They are very sweet as is. I figured I'd needs some as I'm adding lemon juice. Maybe next time I'll try just 1/4 c sugar. I know I'm making a dessert, but a balance is good.

I cooked it down for about 4 minutes. The big question for me was how long to water bath can them. Peach jam has a processing time of 10 minutes. Canned peaches are 20 minutes. They aren't as cooked down as a jam, but certainly more than a peach half. So I split the difference at 15 minutes.

I made 5 1/2 half pints. I thought a cup was the perfect size for my mini cobbler so I used the cup sized jam jars. And that nice orange color to my peaches is made because I do not remove the skins on my peaches. They are home grown and not sprayed. Why waste the most nutritious part? Even if it is dessert. I wipe the fuzz off of them before I cut them up and they pretty much disappear into the peaches by the time they are cooked.

I always think of cobblers as a very American dessert if old fashioned. I don't know if it is true or not. For all I know it originally came from another country. But in our country cobbler is a very traditional dish and depending on where in the country you come from, you make it differently. In the south they tend to make a more cake like cobbler. Here in the north it is more of a biscuit type of cobbler. I'm from the north so that is the kind that I grew up with.

Last year I was into making fruit crisps which is a wholly different and also similar dessert. It is easier to make small batches of that as there is no buttermilk (or anything wet except butter) in the topping. I just had a batch of the topping made up and stored in the fridge. When I wanted some I tossed some fruit, sugar, and cornstarch into the ramekin and then sprinkled on the topping.

But a cobbler must be made fresh every time. And it is best hot out of the oven. So a single serving is the way to go if you have no one to share it with. I think the best cobbers are made with buttermilk (of the northern versions at least, there are some really good southern ones made with egg as the liquid, but you can't do those single serving) . Buttermilk is not something I have in my fridge on a regular basis. So I've made the recipe to use 2 tablespoons of buttermilk. I buy a container of buttermilk and freeze it in my ice cube trays which are exactly 2 tablespoons in size. Every time I want to make cobbler I defrost one. Since I figured out this trick I've dispensed with crisps as cobblers are so much yummier. At least I think so.

Oh and since my cobbler is a generic fruit cobbler some of the ingredients have ranges. If you use a very sweet fruit, use the lower amount of sugar. If it is rhubarb use the highest. If it is a wet fruit like peaches use the most cornstarch if it is drier like blueberries use the least. And the last one is lemon juice. If it is really tart like a gooseberry, leave it out. If it needs that tartness kick add it in. Basically use your good judgement.

Late posted photo of tonight's cobbler

Daphne's Single Serving Fruit Cobbler

• Filling:
• 3/4c tightly packed, slightly mashed fruit (or 1 c more loosely packed fruit that will cook down)
• 0 to 1 T lemon juice
• 1/2 to 1 T cornstarch
• 1/2 to 3 T sugar
• Topping:
• 1/4 c flour
• t sugar
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/8 t salt
• T butter
• 2 T buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Mix up the filling ingredients and put in a large ramekin.

Combine all but the last ingredients for the topping and either cut the butter into it or use a small food processor so the butter is no bigger than a small pea. (I smoosh it with a fork until it is right.) Add buttermilk. Mix until combined. Put over the top of the fruit. Bake 25 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.

Enjoy!