Peach Cobbler

Cobbler is an American classic: a soft, bubbling bed of fruit, with biscuity dough baked in patches on top – it is best warm.

The fruit

1. Peel and stone the peaches, and cut them into thin slices.

2. In a bowl toss them with half of the sugar and the cinnamon, then smooth them into an ovenproof dish, and let them stand for a few minutes, so they release some juice.

The dough for the top

3. In another bowl mix the baking powder and the remaining sugar into the wheat flour.

4. Drop in the cold butter in small cubes, and work it to crumbs with your fingertips, then with the milk mix a soft, spoonable dough – do not overwork it.

5. With a spoon place it in smallish mounds onto the fruit; do not cover it completely, leave gaps where the peach bubbles up.

6. In an oven preheated to 190 °C bake it for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the fruit bubbles at the edges.

Tip: It is finest warm, with a scoop of ice cream – the contrast of cold and warm is the whole point.