Flavor in a jar . . . .

The subject of peaches came up recently.  Peach pie, peach cobbler, peach jam, peach smoothies, peaches and ice cream, and finally, just plain peaches, eaten fresh with juice dripping down your arm.  Conversation about Grandma Rose’s peach cobbler sent me to find a crusty, faded scrap of paper where I had tried to capture her recipe as she assembled a cobbler in her kitchen.  I have made this cobbler many times, and I think she would be proud that I managed to come close to hers.  I especially like that it cooks on the stove and I don’t have to heat the oven on a hot day.

Grandma Rose’s Peach Cobbler

10 ripe peaches, washed, peeled and sliced in 1″ chunks

1 cup of water

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. corn starch (I measure heaping Tbsp. if peaches are real juicy)

1 tsp. cinnamon

Place peaches in a round 10-inch pan with lid (I use Mom’s old pan that is 5″ deep with a domed lid adding 1″ to allow for room for the dumplings).  Add water, lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon, bring to a boil on stove-top. Stir corn starch in enough water to make a smooth paste and add slowly to peach mixture, mixing in a little warm juice to dilute. Continue stirring to avoid lumps in juice.  Cook peach mixture over medium heat until juice has thickened.

Dumplings

1-1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup sugar

dash salt

3 tsp. baking powder

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Add approximately 3/4 cup milk to make stiff dough

Mix all dumpling ingredients until moistened and dough has a tacky texture.  Drop in large spoonfuls on the top of boiling peach mixture, completely covering peaches. Put on tight-fitting lid and reduce heat to low.  Cook for approximately 30 minutes or until dumplings are puffed high and fully cooked.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.  Heavenly!