Peach Cobbler With Fresh Peaches

1) Heat oven

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.

2) Peel peaches (optional)

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Set up a bowl of ice water nearby.
2. Score a shallow X on the bottom of each peach.
3. Boil peaches for 30 to 60 seconds, then transfer to the ice bath for 1 to 2 minutes, until cool enough to handle.
4. Slip off skins, then slice peaches about 1/2-inch thick.

3) Mix filling

1. In a large bowl, toss peaches with granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
2. Toss until the cornstarch is evenly distributed with no dry pockets.
3. Pour into the baking dish and dot the top with the 2 tablespoons butter (it melts into the fruit and adds richness).
4. Let it sit while you make the topping so the peaches start to get juicy.

4) Make topping

1. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or fork until you have pea-sized pieces and some sandy bits. That mix of sizes makes it tender and crisp.
3. Stir in milk (or buttermilk) and vanilla just until no dry flour remains. Do not overmix.

5) Bake

1. Dollop the biscuit topping over the peaches in big spoonfuls. A few gaps are fine and help the filling bubble up.
2. If using, sprinkle coarse sugar over the topping.
3. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until the filling is bubbling at the edges and the topping is deeply golden. The topping should look set, with no obviously wet, raw dough spots. If the top browns too fast, loosely tent with foil for the last 10 minutes.

6) Cool and serve

1. Let cobbler cool for 20 to 30 minutes to thicken.
2. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. A pinch of flaky salt on top is optional but extremely convincing.

Make-ahead notes

• Peaches: Peel and slice up to 12 hours ahead for best texture (up to 24 hours is fine, but expect softer fruit and more juices). Toss with 1 teaspoon lemon juice, cover, and refrigerate. Add sugars and cornstarch right before baking for best texture.
• Dry topping mix: Whisk dry ingredients and cut in butter, then refrigerate up to 2 days. Stir in milk and vanilla right before topping and baking.
• Baked ahead: Bake, cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes to re-crisp the top.

Small batch

If you have about 4 cups sliced peaches (roughly 4 to 5 peaches), make it in an 8x8-inch pan:

• Use half the filling ingredients.
• For topping, use: 1 cup flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 4 tablespoons cold butter, 6 tablespoons milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
• Bake at 375 F for 35 to 45 minutes.