The Cobbler That Knows It’s Way Home

The Peach Cornmeal Cobbler

This is the kind of dessert that doesn’t ask for perfection—just ripe peaches, a warm oven, and a little faith in butter. The kind that bubbles up at the edges and fills the kitchen with that unmistakable something good is happening smell. Best served slightly messy, preferably with bare feet on cool floors and someone hovering nearby asking, “Is it ready yet?”

Cornmeal gives this cobbler a little backbone—old-fashioned and comforting—while the peaches do what peaches do best: soften, sweeten, and turn syrupy as they bake. No stirring once it’s layered. Trust the process. Let the oven work its quiet magic.

Ingredients

• 4 cups sliced peaches (peeling is optional, and encouraged if you like things rustic)

• 1 stick butter

• 1 cup cornmeal

• ½ cup self-rising flour

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1½ cups white sugar

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• Cinnamon, to taste

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup buttermilk

How to Make It

Preheat the oven to 375°. Place the butter in your baking dish and let it melt in the oven while things warm up.

In a saucepan, combine 1 cup white sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, cornstarch, and peaches. Stir gently and often until it comes to a boil and the peaches begin to soften and shine.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the remaining sugar, flour, cornmeal, and salt. Add the buttermilk and mix just until everything is wet—no need to overthink it.

Pour the batter into the melted butter without stirring. Spoon the peach mixture over the top, again without stirring. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon (and any other cozy spices you love).

Bake until golden, bubbling, and impossible to ignore—about 30 minutes.

Serve warm, ideally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into all those golden pockets. This is summer comfort in a dish—the kind you’ll want to make again before peach season slips away