Peach cobbler that will win friends and influence people

So, maybe that title oversells this recipe a bit. . .

Maybe.

Not by much, though.

If you make this cobbler for people, they tend to: A) become unable to speak and make noises that sound like “Mmm Mmm Mmm.” B) say things like “slap your mama!” and mean it in a good way. C) profess their undying love.

OK, so maybe not all of that is true, but this recipe is good. Really good. It’s a double crust peach cobbler (double crust in true Midwest fashion) and uses fresh peaches. It’s a little work, but it’s worth it. Ready?

First, make your crust. The list of ingredients for the crust is simple. It’s just: 4 cups flour (all purpose) 1 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/3 cup shortening 1 cup water (the actual recipe calls for 2/3 cups, but I always add a little more, because it always feels like the dough needs a little more moisture to hold together. My suggestion is to have 1 cup of water on hand, but add it by the tablespoonful and stop when the dough gets to the correct consistency. You don’t have to use all the water.)

To make the dough, which you want to do before making the filling, trust me: Mix together the 4 cups of flour and the salt. Then cut in shortening using a fork or one of those pastry blender things.

Finally, add in the water one tablespoon at a time, tossing and mixing the dough until it reaches the right consistency. I usually use a spoon for awhile, but at some point you need to get in there with your hands and press and knead the dough a little. This helps it hold together and also helps create the cobbler crust consistency you’re going to want.

Prior to making the dough, you should have done two things: preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking dish. For the record, I didn’t grease the dish this time (I forgot!).

Divide your dough in half and form a small ball from each half. Roll one of them out on a floured surface. This will be your bottom crust, so make it big enough to cover the bottom of your pan and come up the sides. Set the other dough aside for now.

To make the filling: Peel and slice about 7 cups of fresh peaches (I have used frozen before and it turned out OK).

When your peaches are all ready to go, add 1 1/2 cup of sugar, 3 tbsp flour, 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 cup water to the bowl.

Mix together and watch a nice juicy filling begin to form. If you love peaches, I dare you to taste it. It will make you HAPPY! When the filling is mixed together, pour it into the baking dish and top it with pats of butter.

The recipe says to use about 1/4 cup of butter, but I always eyeball it. And in an effort to be honest, I forgot to put the butter on top of the filling before I added the top crust. So I just put it on top of the crust. Turned out fine. Finally, roll out the top crust. You can cut it into strips to do a lattice top, if you’re feeling creative. And if you’re not, just roll it out, cover the peaches, and seal the edges.

You will want to cut slits to vent the cobbler or you can use a little cookie cutter and do double duty, decorating and venting the filling at the same time. I used a small star cookie cutter because this cobbler was for July 4. Before putting your cobbler in the oven, sprinkle the top crust with sugar, then bake at 400 degrees for about 50-60 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling out in a beautiful peach color.

Enjoy!