Peach Cobbler

I have to admit that one of the main reasons why I go to the trouble of freezing peaches in the summer is so that I can enjoy wonderful, warm peach cobbler in the winter.  So I know that technically it isn't winter yet, but it has been cold here and this weekend just felt like I needed a decadent dessert.

Now we could have a debate here about exactly what cobbler is... I know that are several definitions, but I'll just be real honest here:  I am from Oklahoma and a cobbler is basically a pie in a square or rectangular dish.  End of my discussion... ya'll can discuss further if you want to.

First you start with a pie crust, you will need one for the bottom and one for the top.  This will make enough for an 8 x 8 dish.  If you want to double this recipe as far as the fruit is concerned and make one in a 9 x 13 pan, you can make 3 pie crusts and use 1 1/2 for the bottom and 1 1/2 for the top.




For one crust:
*1 1/4 c. flour
*3 T. Shortening
*1/2 t. salt
*3-4 T. cold water

Use a pastry blender or a fork and work the shortening into the flour and salt.  Add 3 T. water and mix together with a fork, incorporating all of the flour.  If needed, add the additional T. of water.  Empty out onto your counter or board dusted with a little flour.  Roll out just as you would for a pie, but don't worry too much about the shape.  A cobbler is supposed to be rustic, and remember this is going into a square dish.

For this size you are going to use:

4 c. fruit  (thawed and drained, if you are using frozen)
3/4 c. Splenda
1/3 c. flour
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg

Now I will be the first to admit that I used to be a purist and if I was making a peach cobbler, it was going to be peach... period.  But lately I guess my taste buds have gotten more sophisticated, or maybe just more open-minded.  I still had some blueberries in my freezer from this summer, so I decided to add a few to my peaches.  Mix together to coat the fruit.

 Pour the fruit into the cobbler dish.  Dab a few dots of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter on the top of the fruit.  Roll out your other crust.  Again, don't worry too much about the shape, but you may want to trim it so that it doesn't hang over the edge too much.  You don't want to have super thick crust along the edges.

Cut some slits into the top of your crust to let the steam escape and sprinkle with a little Splenda just to make it sparkle.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  You will just want to make sure that the crust begins to turn golden and becomes flaky.  If you decide to make a bigger one, it will probably take a little closer to an hour.
Now I don't know about you, but there is not much better than a warm cobbler, served with some vanilla ice cream!  If you haven't tried Blue Bunny's No Sugar Added ice cream, you should give it a try.

One of the things I remember from my childhood, is that when my mom made pie or cobbler, we got cinnamon crisps!
So when you trim off your top crust, give these a try just for a little snack.

Spray a cookie sheet and place your pieces of extra dough on the sheet.  Using a knife, spread a little I Can't Believe It's Not Butter on each piece.  Mix a quarter cup of Splenda with a teaspoon of cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle the tops with the mixture.  Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.  Careful... they are hot when they come out of the oven!