Georgia Peaches!

As much as I may like to deny it, I am officially a Georgia Peach. Although I will always be a native New Yorker and the Big Apple is both my birthplace and my childhood home, I have made new roots in Georgia and it is my son’s home. You may be asking yourself why this is a big deal but New Yorkers are notorious for retaining our “New York” frame of mind. I know people who have lived here for 20 years, moved here as a teenager and still maintain a strong New York accent. I think my identity as a Georgia peach was verified when I attended my high school reunion and was told I have a “southern twang!” I like to think it is similar to my New York accent it exists but is far from the classic accent and you only hear it with a few words like - water and coffee.

Anyhow, despite my recent admission of being a Georgia Peach, I have always been a lover of peaches and specifically peach cobbler. As you may know, Georgia is the peach state and we are known for our peaches. July and August are the peak of peach season and they are in abundance right now. So of course, when tasked by Walmart to chose a stone fruit to highlight I immediately thought of peaches and cobbler!

In the past when I’ve wanted a cobbler I simply purchased canned peaches and added frozen pie crust for the “cake” but I am a very adventurous cook and decided to tackle this head on with fresh peaches. My first task was choosing the peaches. When choosing peaches be sure to find ones that are firm but yield when lightly pressed. I also like peaches that are fragrant and am on the lookout for bruises - those stay in the store.

I purchased a little over 2 pounds of peaches and spent approximately $3.00. After finding a recipe I went to work peeling all of the peaches. The recipe was straight forward and easy, after slicing the peaches, I placed them in a pan to simmer for ten minutes and develop a syrup with the addition of sugar. When putting the final steps together to make the batter I realized I only had gluten free flour and the whole wheat flour in my pantry was expired! I forged ahead hoping for the best because the recipe calls for self-rising flour and we all know the crust is the best part of the cobbler! I added baking powder to the gluten free flour and let it bake for 40 minutes.

The final results? Were disappointing. The flour did not rise they way it was supposed to and there was no crispy, crusty, goodness! I am sure you are used to reading blogs where the recipes come out perfectly every time but sadly, this is NOT one of those instances. And as much as I wanted to make another cobbler I just didn’t have the time or ingredients! The taste however, is amazing but since my crust is less than desirable this cobbler was a complete fail! I think it is important for me to share my successes and failures for you because it is reality.

Next week I’ll be making another attempt at cobbler, I will not be defeated!