Fresh fruit and delicious buttermilk crumble make for a sweet and savory dessert...or breakfast. Served a la mode this is one of my favorite things to make in the summer. Make sure the peaches you use are really excellent and nicely ripe to add juice to the cobbler.
1 cup Buttermilk Pancake/All Purpose Baking Mix (I used TJs)
1/2 Cup Milk
1/4 cup sugar + 1-2 tb for fruit
1-2 tb brown sugar to sprinkle on top
4 tb butter
dash of extra baking powder (Idk, because fluffy!)
dash vanilla extract
lemon juice, 2-3 squeezes
cinnamon - amount to taste, I probably used about 1/8 tsp or less
4-6 small peaches pitted, no need to peel - I had these tiny little disc guys
1/2 cup blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, whatever you have around (I used blueberries)
(optional) nutmeg
(optional) cornstarch to thicken fruit syrupyness a bit
5x9 bread pan or other larger/shallower baking dish
This recipe calls for fresh fruit but canned can easily be substituted in. 1 16oz can should suffice if you're using berries too. I'd probably drain the heavy syrup.
A note on the 'cobble' - this recipe is probably what you might call northeastern style cobbler - the topping is sweet, salty and buttery in flavor while the texture is fluffier, more biscuity then doughy. It reminds me a little bit of cornbead. The top and bottom browns wonderfully for a nice crunch. The cinnamon and nutmeg add a wonderful warmth and spicy flavor to the fruit, which isn't swimming in syrupy sauce - just my personal preference.
The night before(optional, but makes things go smoothly):
Rinse/rub your fresh peaches and peel just the bad/weird skin parts. Dice into small to medium wedges or chunks and place in a lidded container in the fridge. You can also rinse your berries and add them to this container if you so choose.
Set your 4 tb butter out the night before so it is nice and soft.
Place butter in your approx 5x9 bread pan and pop it in the over as it preheats to 350 f. Keep an eye on it so you don't burn your butter or cook any off - if you left your butter out this should only take a couple minutes tops. Once the pan is warm you can take it out and let the butter melt itself completely.
There should be approx an 1/8" or more! - pool of butter in your baking dish. This is good! Swish it up on the sides of your pan a bit. Set this dish aside. Part 1 is done mofo!
In a sauce pan add all fruit (diced/rinsed at this point), sprinkle 1 tb of sugar on top (you may need more - use your judgement) and 2-3 squeezes of lemon juice (this should be less juice then 1/2 of a lemon). Stir. Sprinkle a dash or two (or measure 1/8 tsp) of cinnamon. Add 1/2 tsp of cornstarch if liquidy - flour can be subbed. Stir occasionally & set on low to medium heat. Part 2, voila!
While your fruit cooks up for 2-5 minutes, get a separate bowl and combine 1 cup buttermilk all purpose mix, dash of baking powder, 1/4 cup + 1 tb of sugar and 1/2 cup of milk. I spooned just a little bit of butter from the pool and mixed it into the batter as well. Mix or whisk this together until just combined - I like to use a fork. It will still be somewhat lumpy.
Assembling & Baking:
The layers are as follows, despite how it looks when it's done.
Pour the buttermilk batter evenly over the butter pool in the baking dish - and DO NOT STIR IT. Now add your fruit mixture on top, spooning it evenly-ish across the dish. Again, DO NOT STIR IT - just spoon the fruit and juice over the layered butter and batter. It might look a little weird at this point but that's okay.
Sprinkle on your 1 tb brown sugar and a last dash of cinnamon if you so choose, and bake for 30-45 minutes until it's a nice golden brown on the edges and you have a crackled biscuity golden top.
Serve a la mode, with coffee. Yum.
