Spiced Peach Cobbler Cake

The end of summer is starting to feel near - probably because Labor Day is just around the corner and there are little signs like the squirrels getting very busy and then there are the spiders that have started showing up and they are really big! I realized that I hadn't really cooked with the luscious summer fruit much since I liked eating them directly from the farmer's market stands. I especially enjoyed the wonderful Queen Anne Cherries this year. But this week the peaches really drew me and they started getting a bit soft in my fruit bowl. Since I hate to waste food, I opted to make Peach Cobbler, one of my father's favorite summer desserts. This recipe originally came from Women's Day Encyclopedia of Cooking. When I used to make this as a teenager, my sister's and I took to calling it Cobbler-Cake. That's because most cobblers have a biscuit like dough that's plopped on top of the peaches, but that's too heavy for my taste. This recipe uses a cake-like batter that you pour on top and when it's done, it's light and moist and is actually a lot like Clafouti - although that uses cherries with pits. If the French were using peaches, it would properly be called a Flaugnard. It's also a close relative to the Slump, but there the fruit is mixed into the batter. I use a little less sugar when the peaches are really ripe and a little more when they are hard and sour. The hint of nutmeg and cinnamon give it an amazing aroma as it bakes and just a hint of mystery when you taste it. This recipe makes quite a lot as the peaches are spread in an 9 x 11 inch pan, but around here it goes fast! My father loved it with cream, my sons perfer vanilla ice cream. I like it just the way it comes out of the oven and I even like it cold the next morning if there's any left.

Spiced Peach Cobbler-Cake

4 very large, 6 medium or 8 small peaches - about 4 cups total

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Topping:

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons Butter, melted

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel and slice peaches and mix with sugar and spices. Pour into a buttered 9 x 11" pan and make topping.

Beat egg, sugar, butter and milk. Mix flour, baking soda and salt and stir into egg mixture. Pour batter over peaches. Bake for 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Five Element Analysis

Desserts are very sweet and this one is no exception. Therefore, Peach Cobbler is automatically part of the Earth Element. The peaches and sugar are Earthy too. The cinnamon and nutmeg bring in just a bit of the Metal Element along with the milk. The flour in the batter adds the Wood Element and the egg adds a little of the Water Element. This is by no means a balanced dish and the other elements all need more representation, so serve it after a meal with a lot more Fire and Metal Element foods.