By Ryan McKay
Stone fruits make their debut in the summer and here in Georgia, and they couldn’t come soon enough. Here in the Peach State, they are fashioned into many a delicious concoction, from pies to tarts, highlighting their natural sweetness, but nothing sings to me like the cobbler.
Relying on nothing but the fruit’s naturally sweet and juicy goodness, the peach is the backbone of this dessert. In fact, all the other ingredients are all staple items, which makes for an inexpensive delight. The cobbler, though, calls my name because of the buttery topping. Oatmeal, nuts, and other crunchy ingredients are often added to provide that texture needed to balance all that smooth, luscious fruit. But I turn to a not-so-often-used ingredient to do the trick, Panko Bread Crumbs. They hold up rather well to all the moisture, retaining their structure and giving the dessert that much-needed crunch. Trust me….
Being a Californian, taking on the famed peach in the state that made it famous may be a fool’s errand, but I am not scared (the crew will eat it nonetheless). But I believe I’m not setting you up for failure. I mean, how can you fail with a fruit that makes you want to sing?
Fuel
Peaches (cubed, 4-5 or 1 per person)
All-Purpose Flour (½ cup)
Panko Bread Crumbs (½ cup or more…)
Unsalted Butter (cold and cubed, 3 Tbs.)
Corn Starch (3 Tbs.)
Lemon Juice (1 Tbs.)
Cinnamon (1 tsp.)
Sugar (3 Tbs.)
Vanilla (1 tsp.)
Salt (pinch)
Tools
Ramekins (4-5 or 1 per person)
*Alternately, 9” x 9” baking dish will work
Bowls (various)
Whisk
Tactics
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the peaches, sugar (1 Tbs.), corn starch (1 Tbs.), lemon juice, and vanilla into a bowl and mix to combine. In the other bowl, add the flour, remaining corn starch, remaining sugar, Panko bread crumbs, cinnamon, salt, and butter. Using hands, mix until the ingredients resemble wet sand. Place the peaches equally into the ramekins and then top with the crumble (generously!). Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until the fruit is bubbling and the crumble is slightly browned. Allow to cool, 10-15 minutes, then top with a scoop of vanilla. Indulge!
Ryan McKay is a 12-year fire service veteran and a firehouse cook from Atlanta, Georgia. His goal is to bring the fast-paced lifestyle of the fire service with the slow-paced art of cultivating family and crew through the tool that is food. He has made an appearance on NBC’s primetime show “Food Fighters,” is a co-founder of the Metro Atlanta EMS Conference, and works intimately with the SafePath Child Advocacy Center.
