Texas-Style Peach Cobbler (inspired by Cook's Country)

Awhile back I posted about the delicious Texas-Style Blueberry Cobbler I cooked, using the recipe from the August/September issue of Cook's Country.  That turned out so great that I decided to make a different type of cobbler, using the Cook's Country recipe as a starting point.  Since great peaches have started showing up in the stores (we're particularly fond of Colorado peaches), this time I made a Peach Cobbler.

It turned out great!  As with the Blueberry Cobbler, this one starts out with the fruit on top of the batter, but by the time everything cooks, the peach slices have sunk to the middle and bottom of the cobbler.  This results in the cobbler being golden-brown on top and browned and crispy along the edges.  The cobbler's interior turned out moist but not mushy, and it was tasty all the way through.  Almost every bite delivers sweet, tender bits of peach. 

Except for a few details - and being made with peaches, of course - the recipe below is pretty much the same as the one printed in Cook's Country.  It provides a pretty much foolproof basis for this sort of dessert, and I'm sure I'll be turning to this recipe, or the original from Cook's Country, again in the future.

Texas-Style Peach Cobbler

yield = 8-10 servings

4                           tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces,
                                  and 8 tablespoons melted and cooled
1 1/2                     cups granulated sugar
1                           teaspoon freshly-grated lemon zest
4                           cups fresh peaches, pitted and sliced
1 1/2                     cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2                     teaspoons baking powder
1/2                        teaspoon table salt
1 1/2                     cups milk

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.  Place 4 tablespoons of butter in a 13x9-inch baking dish and transfer to oven.  Heat until the butter is melted.

Meanwhile, mix 3 tablespoons sugar and the lemon zest in a small bowl.  Set aside.  Add another tablespoon of sugar to the sliced peaches and stir to mix.

Combine flour, remaining 1 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  Whisk in milk and 8 tablespoons melted, cooled butter until smooth.  Remove baking dish from oven, transfer to a wire rack and pour batter into the baking dish.

Dollop the peach mixture evenly atop the batter, then sprinkle with the lemon sugar and bake until golden-brown with crisp edges, 45-50 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.  Allow the cobbler to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.  Serve warm.