Brown Butter Bourbon Peach Cobbler

I am so ready for summer to be over. I’m sick of stifling heat and smothering humidity. I’m tired of 90 degree days. I’m done with feeling like I need to shower again as soon as I step outside, even though I’ve just showered a half an hour ago. I hate having to stop and think whether I even put deodorant on today, because it sure isn’t working anymore if I did, since I’m covered in sweat. I’m done. with. summer. The only thing I’ll miss—all the fresh fruit.

After a marathon, late-night, mad rush of baking for the fair last weekend, I thought I’d have a little baking hiatus for a week or so to let myself recover. By Tuesday, I was already itching to get back in the kitchen. I just couldn’t decide what to make. I thought about muffins, but wasn’t really feeling it. I didn’t want to do cookies or cupcakes again. Then my mom dropped off 3 fresh peaches from Lynd’s Fruit Farm—problem solved! Peach cobbler it is!

I’m not a fan of baked fruit. I don’t like the squishy texture of it. So I generally shy away from baking things like cobblers and pies and such. But peaches are one of my favorite fruits. So I thought I’d give it a try. After browsing through peach cobbler pictures on Tastespotting, I saw one that said “brown butter and bourbon” in the description. SOLD!

I’ve never made a cobbler before (check that off my 30x30 list!), so I had no idea how easy it was to whip up. No mixers. Staple pantry ingredients. Dump it all in a pan and bake. Who knew? Despite my aversion to baked fruit, I gobbled this thing up in no time! Serve it still warm with a scoop of melty ice cream—it's amazing. It’s buttery and gooey, with just the perfect cinnamon spice, and a bit of a nutty flavor from the brown butter and bourbon. I’m still weirded out by the squishy fruit, but I’ll get over that, because I’d definitely make this one again.

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Brown Butter Bourbon Peach Cobbler
Adapted from Pink Parsley, Confections of a Foodie Bride, and The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather
Makes one 8-inch square cobbler



½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ tablespoons bourbon (optional)
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
¾ cup milk
2 fresh peaches, thinly sliced
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Melt butter in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat until it bubbles and turns a golden, nutty-brown color. (Make sure you don’t walk away. Once it starts to turn, it goes from golden to brown to burnt in less than a minute.) As soon as it turns, pour butter into an 8-inch square baking dish. Whisk in bourbon, if using; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and ¾ teaspoon cinnamon. Whisk in milk to combine. Pour flour mixture over butter in baking dish. Gently spread mixture to the edges, but do not stir into the butter mixture.
4. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Arrange peach slices evenly over the batter, and sprinkle evenly with brown sugar mixture. Bake cobbler until top is golden brown, about 40-45 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve warm or at room temperature.