Blueberry peach cornmeal cobbler
A few years ago, when I arrived at a friend’s house in Austin, I handed her a Fredericksburg peach I’d picked up in the Hill Country. Before I even had a chance to sit down, she had sliced the peach in half and shared it with her daughter.
Later that night, I offered to pick up the tab at dinner to thank my friends for letting me sleep at their place. “Are you kidding?” said my friend. “You brought us peaches. You’ve already repaid us more than enough!”
Earlier that week, I had spent the night at my grandma’s farm. Her peach tree was full of fruit, but they weren’t quite ripe. Fortunately, my mom had brought a box of Fairfield peaches on a recent visit. And before I even had a chance to sit down, my grandma had deftly peeled one of the peaches and cut it into slices to share.
As we were eating the peach slices and wiping the juice off of our chins, my grandma asked if I wanted her to bake me my favorite pie—chocolate. “Are you kidding?” I said. “When the peaches are in season, I want a peach pie instead!”
What is it about peaches? Those few weeks in summer when they are ripe and in abundance, people can’t get enough of this soft juicy fruit. While I may be biased, I feel Texas peaches are the best and I’m pleased that I happened to be visiting when they were in season.
My preferred way of eating them is fresh off the tree, warm from the sun. But sometimes you might want another preparation as well. Blueberries are also in abundance right now, and one of my favorite combinations is to pair this tart berry with sweet peaches in a cobbler.
In my recipe box, I have a few cobbler recipes including recipes for dewberry cobbler, peach cobbler, chocolate cobbler, and strawberry. But I recently came across a cornmeal cobbler recipe in the Houston Chronicle and thought I’d give the topping a try.
I’m glad I did. I believe that fruits and vegetables that share a season naturally go well together. Corn is also now in season, which is why I think cornmeal goes so well with these fruits. For instance, blueberry cornbread is always a favorite this time of year.
The blueberry peach cornmeal cobbler comes together quickly. First, you mix the cornmeal batter that’s like a cross between and a cornbread and a loose and shaggy sweet biscuit. You then dollop it on top of the fruit, which has been tossed with sugar and cinnamon.
As the cobbler bakes, your home will be filled with the sweet and inviting scent of blueberries, peaches, and cinnamon. When it’s done, you tuck into it with a spoon and can either serve it alone or with a dollop of whipped cream. It’s a fine dessert to conclude a light meal, though I also enjoy it cold for breakfast, too.
—————
Would you like more Homesick Texan? Well, I’ve started offering additional recipes for paid subscribers to help with the costs of running the site. While I’m not taking anything away, if you’d like to support Homesick Texan and have access to exclusive, never-seen-before subscriber-only posts, please consider becoming a member; annual subscriptions are as low as $25. Thank you for reading, your consideration, and your support!
—————
Blueberry peach cornmeal cobbler
Ingredients
For the topping:
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons cold butter
- 1/2 cup half & half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling:
- 2 cups sliced peaches
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease an 8-inch cast-iron skillet or 8-inch square pan.
- To make the topping, in a bowl stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon until well combined.
- With knives, a pastry blender, or your hands, work the cold butter into the dry ingredients until it’s crumbly. Stir in the half-and-half until all the ingredients are well blended and you have a sticky dough.
- Place the peaches and blueberries into the skillet or pan. Toss the fruit with the lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon until well combined.
- Drop spoonfuls of the dough evenly on top of the fruit.
- Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until brown and bubbling, and an inserted knife into the cornmeal topping comes out clean. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Note: This post and recipe was first published in 2010 and updated in July 2022
Yum! Gotta love peaches, and the blueberry combo sounds amazing!
Btw, I just moved back to Texas (was only gone a year) and I loved reading your blog while I was away. It made this native Texan very homesick too! : )
I grew up in the deep south, Alabama, and spent 15+ years in Texas and now am on the east coast and get much of my produce from the Lancaster, PA area. I have had exceptional peaches in each area. I wait with great anticipation each year for peaches and will wait even longer for the right vendor at the farmers market. Weather conditions are definitely more favorable in the south but the peaches can downright amazing up here which I was surprised by. Last year they were the size of softballs and intensely flavorful. This year, they are half the size (drought conditions) and tasty and delicious but not quite what they were last year. Peach season is here and I am on it. Peach chipotle jam, peach liquados, crisp and cobbler and anything else I can think of …
I do miss Texas and the fabulous food and produce that they have. East coast cannot compare.
i absolutely adore the photograph of your grandmother's hands peeling the peach. it's truly priceless!
I've found that people who haven't lived in Texas, or who don't have people there, don't know about Texas peaches. I know exactly why — they are so delicious they never make it out of Central Texas!
I was just in the Hill Country visiting my parents, and took them a boatload of nice, fat, juicy organic blueberries from the amazing Linda Boyd of Oxford Berry Patch here in Mississippi (whose blueberries are the most flavorful I've ever tried) — and since they are getting such excellent peaches, I'm forwarding this recipe on to them. Perfect! The cornmeal will be just right.
Thank you for the picture of your grandmother's hands. That picture is the epitome of love. It would be beautiful framed and hanging in your kitchen.
…and, I LOVE peaches! I remember Texas peaches when I was a little girl picked right off the tree still warm from the sun and adding thick sweet cream skimmed off the top of the fresh milk as it was brought in from the barn. It was the best food combination I have ever had.