I love recipes. I love them for many reasons, from being able to pass down dishes served around the family dining table for generations to the fact that they can be as comforting and familiar as an old friend; however, I believe there is an element that can make recipes even more precious. They often can take on a life of their own. A simple tweak here and there can yield something new and exciting, maybe a different flavor profile, or an element of texture that elevates a dish that much more. That is what I have been learning in the kitchen as of late, the big tweaks are sometimes necessary, but the difference between a good and a great dish is often made by a smaller, more precise change. Think paring knife instead of chef’s knife. While I didn’t take a paring knife to my family’s peach cobbler recipe that I originally shared last summer: here, I did breakout the microplane and a teaspoon for some tweaks. Those little tweaks added up to big flavor development! The addition of citrus zest brightens the whole dish, while cinnamon provides that warmth on your tongue when it first hits your taste buds. Though this recipe has been elevated a bit, the batter feels reminiscent of Miss Truvy’s “cuppa, cuppa, cuppa” simple recipe in Steel Magnolias and I’ve always loved that, no tweaking there.

Ingredients:

• 8-12 soft peaches, yielding about 2.5-3 cups of diced fruit and juice

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

• 1 cup AP flour

• 1.5 cups sugar

• 1 cup milk

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter cut into 16 pats, 1/2 tablespoon pieces

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Peel and cut up peaches into 1/2 chucks and put into a large bowl. Tip: Make sure you squeeze the pits of the peaches to get all the juice and the fruit off the pit!

3. Add 1/2 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and lemon zest to your peaches and let sit for 15 minutes. Hello, maceration!

4. In another bowl combine, 1 cup of sugar, flour and milk and mix together.

5. Add in vanilla and mix.

6. Cut a stick of butter into 1/2 tablespoon pieces (you’ll get 16!)

7. Grease a baking dish (I used 9 x 13) and pour batter into dish.

8. Distribute the butter evenly over the top of the batter (like little butter life rafts!).

9. Pour peach mixture over the top of the batter. Aim for the center of the pan as the sides of the batter are going to bake up and need to come up and over the peaches. (Say it with me, batter: “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…”)

10. Bake for 45-50 degrees or until golden brown and sides of pan and center bubble.