Frozen peaches do not make a watery peach cobbler, as long as the filling has something to thicken the juice they release. Peaches for freezing are usually picked ripe and frozen soon after, so out of season they often taste better than the hard, pale fresh peaches in the store. A tablespoon of cornstarch turns their juice into a glossy syrup, and they go into the dish straight from the bag with no thawing.
That makes this cobbler a genuine weeknight dessert. The filling takes 2 minutes to toss together, the drop-biscuit topping about 5 more, and the dish bakes while dinner is eaten. Total time from opening the freezer to a bubbling dish is under an hour, with only about 10 minutes of it spent working.
The Weeknight Peach Cobbler Timeline
Heat the oven first; everything else fits into the time it takes to reach 400°F.
Use a 2-quart baking dish, such as an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch square or a 9-inch deep pie dish. Set it on a sheet pan in the oven; cobbler filling bubbles over the edges, and burnt peach juice on the oven floor smokes.
Frozen Peach Cobbler: What Changes
Frozen peaches work in the same quantities as fresh, by weight. Do not thaw them. Thawed peaches leak their juice into the bowl and turn soft and limp before they ever reach the oven. Tossed frozen with the sugar and cornstarch, they release juice gradually as they heat, and the cornstarch thickens it as it goes.
The main difference is time. Frozen fruit starts colder, so the filling takes about 10 minutes longer to come to a boil. Cornstarch only thickens properly once the liquid reaches a boil, so the cobbler is not done until the filling is bubbling thickly at the edges, whatever the clock says.
Fresh peaches should be ripe enough to smell sweet and give slightly when pressed. Peeling is optional. The skins soften in the oven and add a rosy color, but some people dislike their texture. To peel quickly, cut a shallow X in the bottom of each peach, drop it into boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, then into cold water; the skins slip off.
Canned peaches work in an emergency. Drain them well, reduce the sugar to 2 tablespoons if they were packed in syrup, and bake about 5 minutes less.
An Easy Cobbler Recipe Topping
Cobbler toppings vary by region and family: some are cake-like batters poured over the fruit, some are pie crust, and some, like this one, are drop biscuits. Spoonfuls of soft biscuit dough are dropped over the fruit, leaving gaps between them. As they bake, they puff and brown on top while their undersides soak up a little of the peach syrup.
The same rules as for any biscuit apply. Keep the butter cold and mix only until the dough comes together. Cold butter melts in the oven and releases steam, which lightens the topping; overmixed dough bakes up tough.
Leave gaps between the biscuits. They let steam escape from the fruit, which helps the filling thicken, and they let the topping bake through rather than steaming into a pale, doughy lid. A sprinkle of coarse sugar on top gives a crunchy, sparkling crust.
Knowing When It Is Done
The topping should be deep golden brown and the filling bubbling thickly around the edges and between the biscuits. Insert a toothpick into the center of one biscuit; it should come out clean. If the topping is brown before the filling bubbles, lay a piece of foil loosely over the dish and keep baking.
Let the cobbler cool for at least 15 minutes. The filling is extremely hot straight from the oven, and it thickens more as it cools.
Adjusting Sweetness and Thickness
Peaches vary a great deal in sweetness and juiciness, from batch to batch and from bag to bag. Taste a slice before tossing the filling. If it is sharp or bland, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more sugar. If the peaches are very ripe and sweet, the 1/3 cup in the recipe is plenty, and the lemon juice keeps them from tasting cloying.
Very juicy fruit may need a little more thickener. If the peaches release a lot of liquid as you toss them, or if you are using a full bag of frozen peaches with visible ice crystals, increase the cornstarch to 1 1/2 tablespoons. Too much cornstarch turns the filling gluey, so add it in small steps.
Cornstarch gives the clearest, glossiest filling. Two tablespoons of all-purpose flour can stand in for 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, though the syrup will look slightly cloudy. Tapioca starch works too and gives a bright, glossy finish; use the same amount as cornstarch.
If a finished cobbler turns out runny, it was usually pulled before the filling boiled. Let it cool fully; the syrup thickens a good deal as it sets. Spoon any extra juice over ice cream rather than discarding it.
Make It
Serves six. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or a spoonful of plain yogurt.
The recipe
Peach Cobbler
Frozen or fresh sliced peaches tossed with sugar, cornstarch, lemon and cinnamon under a drop-biscuit topping, baked at 400°F until bubbling.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Filling
Topping
Method
- Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C) with a rack in the center. Set a 2-quart baking dish on a sheet pan.
- Filling. Toss the peaches with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and cinnamon directly in the baking dish and spread evenly.
- Topping. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until it looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-size pieces. Stir in the milk with a fork just until a soft, sticky dough forms.
- Top. Drop the dough in 6 to 8 spoonfuls over the peaches, leaving gaps between them. Sprinkle with the coarse sugar.
- Bake. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for fresh peaches or 40 to 45 minutes for frozen, until the topping is deep golden, a toothpick in a biscuit comes out clean and the filling bubbles thickly at the edges. Tent with foil if the top browns early.
- Cool. Cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Frozen peaches: do not thaw; allow about 10 extra minutes.
- Keeps 4 days refrigerated; reheat at 350°F (175°C) to re-crisp.
Oven temperatures are for conventional ovens; for convection, reduce by about 25°F (15°C).
Leftovers and Variations
Cover leftover cobbler and keep it at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat portions in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10 to 15 minutes to re-crisp the topping. It also freezes for up to 3 months, though the topping softens.
Replace up to a third of the peaches with blueberries, raspberries or blackberries, fresh or frozen. Add 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger or nutmeg to the filling for warmth, or a splash of bourbon for depth. For a buttermilk topping, use cold buttermilk instead of milk and add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to the dry ingredients.