Making the Most of the Local Harvest: Bourbon Caramel Peach Cobbler

I'm not usually a person who plans too far ahead.  After all, I like a bit of uncertainty in my life. And, although I can appreciate good planning as much as the next guy, I'm well aware that not every aspect of life can be perfectly orchestrated.

However, there are some areas in life which require me to exercise foresight.

When the dog days of summer have come to an end, and crisp autumnal breezes have blown their last... when the snow sits idly on the ground and the February wind whips through our hair, there's one thing for which I long: FRUIT.

We get spoiled during the summer months when sweet, ripe, locally grown fruit is at the ready just about any time we have a craving.  But, by the time January rolls around in this Wisconsin climate, I'm hard-pressed to find much beyond a few storage apples in the back of my refrigerator and insanely priced packages of frozen berries at my local coop.

So this year, we're preparing for the winter by putting up as much fruit as possible.  So far, we've managed to sock away 5 lbs of strawberries, 6 lbs of raspberries, 10 lbs of sour cherries, and (just this weekend) almost 50 lbs of Door County peaches.  I'm freezing the fruit -- in great part so that I can reduce the amount of added sugar as much as possible. But, I may also try my hand at canning a few jars of apple or pear butter by the time the season ends.

Of course, when there's this much delicious fruit lying around, it's also difficult not to enjoy a bit of it while it's at its peak.  In addition to eating dozens of these lovely peaches out of hand, we also managed to enjoy a few of them in one of our favorite sweet treats.

Rather than make our usual batch of peach ice cream, we decided to go with something warm and comforting -- a peach cobbler.  But, this particular cobbler has a twist. Its peaches are cooked in a caramel sauce that's accented by a bit of Kentucky Bourbon. And the best part is - it can be made in September with the best, fresh peaches of the season.  But, it also turns out great when made in mid-February with fresh frozen peaches -- you know, the ones you stockpiled during the height of the season.

If you're using fresh peaches, you'll want to sprinkle them with a bit of sugar and allow them to sit for about 1/2 hour so that the sugar can draw out their juices.  However, if you're making it with frozen peaches, you may find that the thawed peaches produce enough juice on their own.

 Meanwhile, you mix together a sugar syrup, place it into a cast iron (or other heavy-bottomed) pan, and allow it to caramelize.

To the caramel, you'll add the juices from the peaches, a bit of butter, and a splash of bourbon.  Toss the caramel with the peaches, and top the fruit with a classic crumble mixture (made from butter, flour, brown sugar, another splash of bourbon, some oatmeal, and a pinch of salt) and a few chopped pecans.

 Bake until caramel is bubbly and topping is crisp and browned.  And serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I could begin to tell you all about how delicious this cobbler is -- how the bourbon flavor cuts the sweetness of the caramel and enhances the fruitiness of the peaches.  I could describe the buttery topping -- which is crusty and light and nutty all at the same time.   Or I could just stand by and let you make your own -- which is probably the smart thing to do.


Bourbon Caramel Peach Cobbler


©BURP! Where Food Happens

Local Indulgences: Peach Cobbler

One of the greatest things about local foods is that you can find varieties that actually taste good. Long distance foods are typically of biologically strong, aesthetically pleasing varieties. But, they're not necessarily the foods that win out when it comes to flavor. Local food doesn't guarantee quality -- but it sure goes a long way in making quality possible.

Maybe these peaches are a bit of proof in that area. We can't grow peaches in Wisconsin (our climate simply isn't favorable); however, our neighbors just across Lake Michigan are pretty darned good at it. It's true that, when purchasing our fruit for the week, we should have opted for the apples grown within 20 miles of our house. But, we couldn't resist the end-of-season peaches just down the way.

Since they're already a guilty pleasure by nature, we decided to take them right over the top. After using one of the blushing beauties to make that fantastic salsa for our fish tacos, we also made up a delectable peach cobbler.

We started off by slicing up those juicy peaches. We threw them in a greased baking dish with a bit of sugar and cornstarch...
And we draped them liberally with a topping made from oatmeal, whole wheat flour, sugar, and a liberal dose of cinnamon.
After about 40 minutes in a moderate oven, we produced a local dessert that was entirely TOO scrumptious for its own good. Topped with a bit of caramel and a scoop of Sibby's icecream, and we were VERY happy local eaters.

Oh, yeah -- and I have a message for those of you residing in Michigan.

If you people aren't eating these peaches by the armload... and canning them, freezing them, and otherwise taking advantage of the harvest... well, you need to get out there and DO IT! Before they're all gone! They're too incredibly good.

©BURP! Where Food Happens