Individual Blackberry and Peach Cobblers

Summer means peaches and if you’re a peach lover, this is one of your favorite times of the year. There are 2 basic types of peach- a freestone and a clingstone. The flesh of a freestone peach comes away from the pit easily, whereas the flesh of the aptly named clingstone is hard to pry away from the pit. Because of that, freestone peaches are what you’ll generally find at the market or fruit stand.

Here’s what you want to look for when selecting peaches: a strong peachy fragrance and a peach that yields slightly to palm pressure. Slightly is the operative word here. Peaches bruise easily, so make sure to look them over for soft spots and pass on any that are too ripe.

If you need to speed up the ripening process, place the peaches in a paper bag with a few holes poked in it for circulation and then leave it on the counter for a day or two. Once the peaches are ripe, store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.

If you’re making a recipe that requires the peaches to be peeled, get a  pot of boiling water going, and prepare a large bowl of ice water, too. Cut a small x in the base of each peach, then drop them into boiling water for about 30 seconds. Immediately dunk them in the ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Pat them dry, Now you can easily peel off their fuzzy skins.

Individual Blackberry and Peach Cobblers
Makes 8

Prep time: 30 minutes

Marinate time: 8 hours or overnight

Bake time: 35 minutes

Note: Bake the cobblers on a rimmed baking sheet in case any juices bubble over.

Fruit:

10 medium ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped

1 vanilla bean, preferable Tahitian, split lengthwise

½ cup sugar or to taste

2 pints blackberries

Topping:

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk

For serving:

Good quality vanilla bean ice cream

In a bowl, combine the peaches and vanilla bean and enough sugar to sweeten. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours.

Remove the vanilla bean from the peaches and discard it.

Stir blackberries into peaches.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Have eight 5-inch ramekins ready. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine. Add the butter and mix on medium-high speed, until the mixture is just crumbly. Add the buttermilk and mix until combined.

Top each ramekin with batter, crumbling it over the fruit. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Cool slightly on wire racks and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.