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Somehow this always happens. We end up so busy with recipe and restaurant sharing that somehow dishes made earlier in the season miss the boat. We have a recipe featuring peaches that we made months ago, and yet, it is today–well into the beginning of fall–that we are posting it on this site. It’s unfortunate that you may not be able to replicate this recipe with the summer’s best, and fresh, peaches, but there are ways around that. Before we get there, let’s talk about our most recent peach dish–peach cobbler. It is one of our Southern favorites, but we included one small twist. It’s a small touch, but those are the elements that stand out the most, right?
California Olive Ranch was one of our sponsors and supporters for this year’s seafood boil. We received a few bottles of olive oil to use primarily for grilling endive, but we had plenty leftover. One of our favorite desserts from childhood is peach cobbler. It actually seems to be a favorite amongst many of our friends as well. Why not finish off a day of seafood with a huge batch of peach cobbler? Can you believe we actually had three cobblers that day? Two good friends brought their new Dutch oven, buried it in the sand, filled the cast iron pot with sweetness and baked it under hot coals. Classic. Amir filled two monstrous pans with cobbler–one was a traditional recipe, while the other included olive oil in the topping. It was good, but not outstanding. Back to the drawing board.
Baking with olive oil is not new for us. We’ve featured two very memorable recipes featuring California Olive Ranch oil, and both of them were desserts that would go down in time as treats to shock any disbeliever. The first was an Olive Oil and Sour Cream Pound Cake, and the second was Olive Oil, Almond and Lemon Cookies. I’m not sure why both of those recipes hang so heavily on lemon, but you should know by now that it is one of our most prized additions to a recipe. Plus, the tart bite of citrus paired with California Olive Ranch’s light and fruity oils is usually a symbiotic match. We knew that the oil would also work with peaches, and maybe, just maybe, there would be a little lemon thrown in the mix for good measure.
Back to the drawing board meant dealing with the pesky topping that did not come together as beautifully as it should have on the day of the seafood boil. If you have ever cooked for a large group, then you know that you cannot just multiply a recipe by such-and-such number in order to stretch the servings. That may have been the issue with the first peach cobbler. This time, though, we were creating the average serving, so this recipe had much more control. The filling was simply a mix of fresh peaches, sugar, spices and cornstarch to act as a thickener for a substantial slurry. It was the crumble topping that included our star ingredient. Instead of butter, olive oil would be the agent to provide moisture as well as aiding in the formation of a crunch to the crumble. Baking with olive oil may be new to many people, but with the holidays quickly approaching, now is the best time to experiment.
The final result was a peach cobbler recipe to keep on hand forever. It is one to pull out for Grandma because you always want to know what Granny will say when you make an interesting change to a traditional recipe. The filling had a warming hint from the spices with just enough sugar to enhance the natural sweetness of the peaches. The olive oil, described as floral and smooth, added a very slight earthiness to the crumble, which is always a nice opposing force in a dessert. All of our taste tester friends approved, and they are rather objective judges who would never sugarcoat the truth for us. This cobbler, oh this cobbler, will be back on deck next summer! (If you want to check out photos of the California Olive Ranch and learn more about the production process, check out our Facebook album.)
Peach Cobbler with Olive Oil Crumble - Serves 8
- 4 large peaches, peeled and sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped ginger
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 2/3 cup flour
- 2/3 cup almond meal
- 2/3 cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1. In a large bowl, toss the peaches with the ginger, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, salt, lemon zest and pumpkin pie spice. Drizzle the milk on top and toss again to combine well.
- 2. Slide the peach mixture into a 9 inch x 12 inch baking dish. Randomly spread the cubes of butter over the peaches. Set aside.
- 3. In the bowl of a food processor, blend the flour, almond meal, oats and cinnamon. As the machine runs, slowly drizzle all of the olive oil into the dry mixture until the topping begins to clump together.
- 4. Evenly sprinkle the crumble topping over the peaches. Bake the cobbler in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until the filling begins to bubble, and the topping turns golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Peaches are not the only summer-centric ingredient that formed the basis of a recipe we’re sharing so late in the season. We also have gazpacho and a blackberry-laced salad on deck. Is it too late to post them? You let us know. Right now, you’re probably wondering about that second peach recipe. Well, here it is. In a very short video. We have a recipe for peach pie that will have you asking for a second slice, and it features a crumble similar to the one on the above cobbler. Of course, working with the seasons means that you are probably out of luck for great peaches right now in California. If so, reach for a bag of frozen fruit. They work just as well.
Click HERE to watch the video.
Peach Crumble Pie
Yield: 6-8
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, plus more for the pan
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- 1 pre-made pie crust, thawed and unrolled
- 2 pounds frozen peaches, thawed and drained
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1. Start with the crumble first. Put the butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, almond meal and 1/2 teaspoon salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture forms pea-sized bits. Set aside.
- 2. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie dish. Carefully place the pie crust into the dish, lightly pressing the bottom and sides to fit into the pan. Trim the edges and crimp as desired.
- 3. In a medium bowl, toss in the peaches, sugar, lemon zest and juice, remaining salt, cornstarch, ginger, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir until well combined, then pour the fruit mixture into the pie crust. Dot the crumble over the top of the peaches.
- 4. Bake the pie in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Click HERE for printable recipes.
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The cobbler is gorgeous. I love the olive oil crumble. So creative!
The peach season flew by me so fast. This looks wonderful and soulful, love the olive oil.
i have a few peaches in my fridge right now… thanks for the recipe!!!!
Oh wow!I would love it a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
That’s a fantastic cobbler!
3 cobblers in one day just ain’t right. You all need to share. I love how you added olive oil in there. Adds such a great savory twist to sweets!
That’s a delicious cobbler! Perfect way to end summer
That oil looks good, never heard of it before. I could eat cobbler everyday when fruits are in season.
It looks amazing! I have a craving for cobbler now.
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