Peach-and-Cherry Cobbler with Martini Crust
Fragrant white-fleshed peaches with dark sweet cherries and fresh lemon juice
The fixin's for the cobbler
Drop peaches into boiling water for 4-8 minutes to release the skins
Immediately after boiling the peaches, plunge into cold water and peel
All of the ingredients for the Martini crust should be COLD
Once peeled, slice the peaches and mix with the other filling ingredients
Roll the dough to 1/4" in a rectangle, then slice with a pizza or pastry cutter
Bake until deeply golden brown and bubbly; service with vanilla ice cream and peach sorbet
This recipe is inspired by a Cook’s Illustrated recipe for Blueberry Pie; here’s my cobbler version:
Peach-and-Cherry Martini Cobbler
1 recipe Martini Pie Crust (see recipe below)
7-8 medium peaches, peeled and sliced
(apx. 5 cups)*
1 # dark sweet cherries, pitted (apx. 2 cups)
¾ c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
¼ c. + 2 T tapioca
¾ c. peach jam
¼ c. peach schnapps
2 T. butter
1 egg + 1 t. water, beaten together
to make an egg wash
2 T. raw sugar
(demerara sugar; large crystal) for topping
*to peel the peaches, place them in boiling water for 4-5 minutes, then rinse with cold water. The peel should release using just your hands; if not, put in boiling water again for 1-2 more minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425-degrees. Place a large sheet pan in the oven while it preheats.
- Mix the sugar, tapioca, sugar, cinnamon, jam and schnapps in a medium bowl. Add the peaches and cherries, stir to mix. Place fruit mixture in a buttered 9×13x2 baking dish. Dot with butter.
- Roll the martini pie crust to ¼” and 9×13” (apx.). Using a pastry wheel, cut the dough into twelve 9” long strips. Reform scraps and re-roll to ¼” and 5×13” (apx.). Cut the dough into seven 13” long strips.
- Lattice the dough strips, weaving them in an alternating pattern, across the top of the fruit mixture.
- Brush the dough with the egg wash. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar to coat the dough strips.
- Bake on top of the pre-heated sheet pan for 25 minutes at 425-degrees.
- Reduce heat to 375-degrees; continue baking for 25 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 300-degrees; continue baking for 10-15 minutes, until the filling is bubbly throughout and the crust is deeply golden colored and crispy.
- Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes. Service with the topping of your choice (shown in the photos with vanilla ice cream and peach sorbet).
Uncle Danny’s Martini Pie Crust
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
(separated; 1 cup needed after initial processing)
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar + 2 tablespoons sugar for garnish
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/3 cup cold vodka
1/8 cup cold water (2 ice cubes can substitute to chill the vodka)
(altogether, ½ c. liquid)
- Process 1 1/2 cups flour (not ALL of the flour, remember to reserve 1 c.), salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses.
- Add butter and process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 10 one-second pulses. Scrape bowl.
- Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed, 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.
- Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. Fold the liquid into the dry ingredients to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Flatten dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.
