This is not a fussy dessert, and that is exactly the point. You melt butter in a pan, stir together a simple batter, pour it in, and spoon peaches over the top. You do not smooth it or fret over it. In the oven, the batter rises up and around the fruit all on its own — golden at the edges, tender in the middle, bubbling with summer. Grace-upon-grace, covering what we could never arrange ourselves.
Make it when peaches are at their sweetest, or use frozen ones in the dead of winter when your heart needs a little summer. Serve it warm, in the middle of the table, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and no apologies for the way it looks.
What you’ll need
- 4 to 5 cups sliced peaches (fresh, or frozen and thawed)
- 1 cup sugar, divided (3/4 cup for the batter, 1/4 cup for the fruit)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- A little cinnamon and sugar, for the top
How to make it
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Put the stick of butter in a 9×13-inch baking dish and set it in the oven to melt while it preheats. Watch that it doesn’t brown too far.
- Toss the peaches with 1/4 cup of the sugar and the lemon juice. Set aside to get juicy.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the milk and vanilla until just combined into a pourable batter.
- Pour the batter over the melted butter — do not stir. Spoon the peaches and their juices evenly over the top, again without stirring. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon and sugar.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden and the edges are bubbling. Let it settle for a few minutes, then serve warm — ice cream encouraged.
Serves 8 — or 6 and a couple of “just a little more” seconds.
It doesn’t have to be perfect to be a gift. Neither do you.
The Sacred Table Co. 