Southern Style Apple & Peach Cobbler

It was the very last of the peaches this past week. Stone fruit season is officially over! As is summer. So sad! So I longingly bought up the last of the peaches and paired them with the new seasonal fruit- apples. It's the unofficial passing of the torch. I paired them together to create this delicious Southern style cobbler. This cobbler really brought me back to my college days in North Carolina. There isn't a southern style restaurant that doesn't offer some sort of cobbler. It's their excuse to put a biscuit on everything and I'm certainly not complaining. It's one of my favorite staples. You can never go wrong with warm cobbler and vanilla bean ice cream! 

Southern Style Apple & Peach Cobbler 

Filling

5 to 5 1/2 cups apples, cored, peeled and sliced 

4 to 4 1/2 cups peaches, sliced, skin on 

1 1/2 tbs lemon juice 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1 tsp balsamic glaze 

2 tsp cornstarch 

2 tbs light brown sugar

2 1/2 tbs white sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tbs butter, melted 

Topping:

2 1/2 cups ap flour 

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt 

6 1/2 tbs butter, cold and cubed 

1 cup plus 2 tbs half & half, cream or whole milk

1 1/2 tsp white sugar mixed with 1/8 tsp of cinnamon to sprinkle on top 

Tools:

Two large bowls 

11x7 casserole dish 

Whisk

Mixing spoon

Measuring cups/bowls 

Cutting board 

Chopping knife 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take 1 1/2 tbs melted butter and pour into your casserole dish. Make sure it covers bottom and sides. There will be a little excess- leave it in the pan. 

In one large bowl add the peach and apple slices. Sprinkle them with 2 tbs light brown sugar, 2 1/2 tbs white sugar, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon. Mix and then add the cornstarch, vanilla extract, balsamic glaze and lemon juice. Mix well and set aside. 

In the other large bowl add flour, 1/2 cup white sugar, 2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt. Whisk well. Then add the cold butter, cut into cubes to make it easier to combine. Using your fingers- mix the butter into the dry ingredients, forming wet sand like crumbs. At this pot make a well in the mixture and pour in the half & half. Using a mixing spoon- combine into a wet biscuit dough. Do not over mix- just until combined. 

Pour the apple and peach mixture and all its juices into the butter greased baking dish. Using the spoon, dollop the topping on the fruit mixture. Add dollops of topping all over the fruit. I like to leave little gaps so the fruit can pop through when baking. Once done, sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar topping. Place into the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until top is golden brown. 

Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream. Enjoy! Xo 

Sunday Funday: Poptails

Have you ever been to a party that goes a little bit past it's expiration date? Over the 4th of July I had this experience and I knew it was time to head home when people started mixing whatever liquors were leftover on the counter to take shots. As someone who detests shots, this was about the time that "closing time" began to play in my head. 

Parties also seem to hit their expiration date when the ice runs out. You cannot have a cocktail in the summer (especially in North Carolina where this 4th party took place) without ice. It's just not happening. So when I went to get ice for my drink and there was not a cube to be found- I knew it was time to go. But right at this moment- this girl ran past me to the freezer and I told her there's no more ice- she goes "it's ok, I'll use a Popsicle". Desperate times call for desperate measures. But this led me to this idea...why not use a popsicle to chill your drink and better yet, a way to flavor a drink?! People make flavored ice cubes all the time but a Popsicle is more fun and brings you back to your good ol' childhood days. 

So this is your Sunday Funday mission. Make these poptails or prosecco pops or whatever you want to call them. I happily taste tested them for you and they're delicous! 

Poptails aka Prosecco Pops 

Fridge:

1 bottle of prosecco

1/2 pint of raspberries (1 cup or 6 oz) 

2 peaches, peeled, pitted and roughly chopped 

Counter:

1/2 cup of water 

Pantry:

1 tsp of sugar 

Tools: 

Blender 

Popsicle molds 

Popsicle sticks- I used our family chopsticks 

Champagne flutes 

Measuring cups/spoons 

Peeler 

Cutting board 

Chopping knife 

Add the rapsberries, 1/4 cup of water, and 1 tsp of sugar to the blender.

Process until puréed. Pour this into your popsicle mold but only filling 1/3 or just under half way up. I just divided what I had evenly among my 4 molds (my Popsicle mold makes 8 single stick pops or 4 double stick pops- I purchased it at Bed, Bath & Beyond this week). 

Freeze this half of the popsicle for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I added my sticks at this point so they would be centered. 

Rinse the blender out and add the peaches and remaining 1/4 cup of water. Purée this and pour over the frozen raspberry. Place the popsicles back into the freezer and freeze for another 2-3 hours.

I know this takes patience but it's worth it! 

Once the popsicles are frozen, remove

them by running the mold under warm water. Pour a glass of prosecco and add the popsicle. It keeps your prosecco cold and melts into a perfect Bellini! Yay Sunday Funday!! 

And for kids- just use sparkling cider!! Or just let them eat the healthy Popsicles as is! Xo

PS- next poptail test is lime popsicles for gin & tonics- who's in?!?