Ann Byrne is a New York Times bestselling food writer and author of “Baking in the American South” (September 3, 2024). A Nashville resident, Byrne was previously the food editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She currently writes the weekly newsletter “Between the Layers” on Substack and is a frequent contributor to Bitter Southerner, CNN, and Southern Living.
This is the first in her regular bi-monthly column called Baking in the American South..
Surviving the hot summer is just part of life in the South.
So it’s no wonder that the humid climate has given birth to some of our most revered desserts: caramel cake, for example, with a frosting that sets hard enough to act as a protective shell against humidity at outdoor parties; lemon icebox pie, which is so refreshing it’s served straight out of the fridge; and, when the fruit is ripe on the tree, the tried-and-true warm peach cobbler, topped with chilled vanilla ice cream.
Peach pie and cobbler are two of the most ancient and southern desserts, and I can’t think of a better way to kick off this new twice-monthly baking column with a family favorite recipe.
Before we get to the recipe, here’s a little backstory: Kentucky author Lettice Bryan has one of the earliest printed accounts of peach cobbler in her 1839 cookbook, “The Kentucky Housewife.”
She called it a “peach pot pie,” and wrote that the “cobbler” was made from ripe peaches and could be served hot or cold, but that “it is not a fashionable pie for guests, but is very fine for a family meal with cold sweet milk.”
I bet not. When I serve my guests my easy peach pie/cobbler recipe and top it with a generous dollop of ice cream before bringing it to the table, they are left speechless. It doesn’t matter what the main course was, all they will remember is the cobbler.
It’s easy to see why peach cobbler has become a popular dessert in the South. It’s made with patches of pastry crust and stuffed with ripe peaches from Georgia, South Carolina, or Alabama — it doesn’t matter where they are. According to cookbook author Adrienne Miller, peach cobbler is one of soul food’s most lauded treats, along with pound cake and sweet potato pie.
Family friend Ella Beasley from Nashville knows the secret to a great peach pie or cobbler. Her recipe was my mom’s favorite because it’s quick to make, and it’s been my favorite for as long as I can remember because it cools and slices into a real pie. Or you can spoon it warm out of the pan into bowls and serve it as a cobbler with ice cream. Whichever you prefer.
And the great thing about this method is that you can use any pie crust, homemade or store-bought. (If you don’t want to make homemade crust, I use Trader Joe’s frozen pie crust sheets.) Use soft, flavorful fruits that are in season, like peaches, plums, blueberries, blackberries, or a combination of them. Ripe fruits have lots of juice, and more juice makes for a delicious cobbler.
The rest of the ingredients, including sugar, flour, and butter, are likely in your kitchen. The pie will be ready in about an hour. If you’re patient, let it cool for 30 minutes or so so the slices are even and still deliciously runny. Or you can spoon it warm from the pan into bowls and serve it as a cobbler with ice cream.
It’s a pie, it’s a cobbler, and it’s so delicious.
Ella’s Peach Pie/Cobbler
Depending on the type of peaches you use in this pie, it will bake up a peachy color. Also, mixing in a few Red Heaven or Red Globe peaches will give it red stripes. Peaches also taste differently, with peaches picked later in the season having a stronger flavor than peaches picked earlier in the season. I often add a bit of lemon juice to bring out the deep flavor of the peaches, so if your peaches aren’t quite tasting, use lemon juice. This recipe has just enough flour to thicken the peach juice but keep the pie or cobbler juicy. If you like, add a pinch of cinnamon to the sugar.
Serves 8
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes
Bake time: 55-60 minutes
material
- Two 9-inch frozen, refrigerated, or homemade pie crusts
- 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 8 to 10 medium-ripe peaches (1 3/4 pounds), peeled, pitted, and sliced (3 cups)
- Juice of 1/2 lemon (1 tablespoon) (optional)
- 3 tablespoons cold butter
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Place 1 sheet of pie dough into a 9-inch pie plate and groove the edges. Then place the pie plate on a baking sheet. Spoon 1/2 cup sugar into the bottom of the dough. Stir the flour into the sugar. Next, scatter the sliced peaches and their juice over the sugar and flour. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup sugar over the peaches. Squeeze lemon juice over the peaches, if desired. Cut the butter into small squares and scatter on top.
Cut the remaining pastry dough into 1/2 inch strips and layer them in a lattice pattern over the peaches. Press the strips against the sides of the pastry dough to secure them to the pastry. Brush the surface of the pastry dough with milk and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
Place the baking sheet with the pie plate in the oven and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling from underneath the crust. Let the pie rest for 30 minutes before slicing, or serve warm in bowls with ice cream.
