Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Peach-Blueberry Cobbler with Scandinavian Biscuits



Here's a delicious and simple recipe to make while peaches and blueberries are seasonal and delicious!  This dessert was the grande finale to our gourmet group dinner two weeks ago and I made it again just last weekend to serve to family.


You can put this dessert together in very little time and actually prep it ahead to bake an hour before dinner, if you'd like.  I used frozen wild blueberries that I found at Walmart as I couldn't find fresh ones, and some delicious Michigan peaches from my local grocery store. 


I peeled, pitted and sliced the peaches and defrosted the blueberries in the morning and kept them covered and refrigerated separately until time to assemble the dish.  I did strain the excess juice from the blueberries before putting the filling together. The biscuit dough can be made in the morning and kept in the refrigerator until time to bake also.


The biscuits are made partly from almond meal (or flour) and they were so flaky and delicious!  I sprinkled them with Scandinavian pearl sugar before popping the dish into the oven.  Such a wonderful late summer dessert!  My SIL said it was one of the best desserts he's had. Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you will be saying the same thing :)  Even my husband, who doesn't care for peaches loved it!

I still have a two more recipes to share with you from our gourmet dinner soon!  

Peach-Blueberry Cobber with Scandinavian Biscuits


FOR THE BISCUITS: 

1/2 cup almond meal/flour 
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
1/3 cup granulated sugar 
1 tablespoon baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 
1/2 cold butter (1 stick), cut into pieces 
1/2 cup cold heavy cream, plus more for brushing on top of biscuits
1/4 cup cold milk 
Pearl sugar, for sprinkling over the biscuits before baking

FOR THE FILLING: 

1/3 cup sugar 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract) 
2 tablespoons cornstarch 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
2-1/2 pounds ripe peaches, peeled pitted and cut into eighths 
2 to 2-1/2 cups blueberries (wild ones have the most flavor) either fresh or frozen. I prefer to thaw the frozen ones first, and so I use 2-1/2 cups of frozen ones as they shrink after thawing.  

Vanilla Ice Cream for Serving

Heat oven to 400 degrees. 

Place almond meal/flour in a small skillet and toast over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes, watching carefully.  Pour out onto a plate and allow to cool.

To make the filling, combine sugar and vanilla, cornstarch and salt in a 2-1/2 quart baking dish and use a spoon to stir them together. Add sliced peaches and blueberries, and gently toss everything to combine. 

To make the biscuits, combine the cooled almond meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and stir to combine. Cut in the cubed butter with a pastry cutter (or your fingers) until it looks like small pea-size granules. If using your fingers, put it into the refrigerator for a little while if the butter has gotten warm.  

In a small bowl, combine cream and milk and then, using a fork, stir it into the flour mixture just until evenly moistened. Do not overwork the dough. 

Scoop and form the dough with a spoon into 8 balls (about 1/3 cup each) on place on top of the fruit mixture. I flattened them slightly with my hand.  Brush the tops of the dough with cream and sprinkle with the pearl sugar. 

Bake about 40-45 minutes, until fruit is bubbly and the biscuits are golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center of one biscuit comes out with moist crumbs attached. Serve warm or at room temperature.  Refrigerate left-overs.  

Can be reheated in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.  

Vanilla Ice Cream for Serving

Adapted from The New York Times 

30 comments:

  1. Hi Susan ! ABsolutely love cobblers, my type of dessert and this looks delicious, hugs!

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    1. I hadn't made one in such a long time. I'm glad I finally did :) Thank you, Gloria! xo

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  2. This sounds and looks AMAZING as well as being the perfect summer dessert! And I know your SIL has had some wonderful desserts at your table Susan so it says a lot that he describes this as "the best"!

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    1. I was quite surprised and happy with his comment :) Thank you, Chris! So true about it being a perfect summer dessert as it's quite simple to put together.

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  3. I have frozen blueberries and Jacques loves peaches and nectarines and such..I can see this in my future?Beautiful presentation in that dish Susan!C'est beau!!

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    1. Thank you, Monique! My John does not like peaches but he loved this. I know Jacques would love it! Make a half recipe? It still tasted great the next day too :)

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  4. wow that cobbler looks incredibly delicious! I love that you have added almonds in the biscuit. A fantastic summer treat, Susan.

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    1. Thank you, Angie! Next time I think I will try adding more almond meal, perhaps 1/2 of each. So good with vanilla ice cream or even creme fraiche.

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  5. Looks great, and if you made it twice in a short amount of time... A winner:@)

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  6. Very tasty looking cobbler. Living in Sweden, I was curious as to what a Scandinavian biscuit was. Here, if you say, “can I have a biscuit?” you’d get what you call cookies. Our scones are close to your recipe, but we usually don’t incorporate cream or sugar. I like your “Scandinavian Biscuit” recipe better and will try it out on friends soon.

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    1. Thank you, Ron! Ever since I bought a copy of The Great Scandinavian Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas, I've been smitten with Swedish pearl sugar and Scandinavian bakery (especially being of strong Danish decent myself). Yes, biscuit here it very different from biscuit in Europe :) I just took a peak at your website and will be adding you to my reading list!

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  7. This looks fantastic Susan. Love the biscuits and that you used frozen blueberries. Cobblers are some of my favorite desserts, to eat and make!

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    1. Thank you, Tricia! I used to love making cobblers and then hadn't made them for a long while (perhaps because I loved them a little too much!). So simple and easy compared to tarts and pies and so delicious.

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  8. Perfect end-of-summer treat Susan. I love to pair peaches with berries and it's hard to find recipes that marry them so nicely as this. Biscuit toppings always scream delicious too! My kids are part Swedish and I only have a few Scandinavian recipes that I prepare to celebrate their heritage, so this will be made soon for their next visit home!

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    1. Thank you, Roz! I'm sure your kids get lots of great Italian food too :) The Swedish pearl sugar is a great way to top the biscuits and the toasted almond flour makes them so delicate and tasty.

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  9. Those biscuits sound marvelous. Someday, I’ll bake some for my Swedish sisters-in-law. They would probably love them; I know that I would.

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  10. Wow...this peach and blueberry cobbler looks and sounds amazing...I am loving the idea of adding almond flour into the biscuit...and the pearl sugar adds a nice touch to it. Thanks for the recipe Susan...hope you are having a great week!

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    1. Thank you, Juliana! The almond flour is such a nice addition and I love pearl sugar :)

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  11. I have yet to make a cobbler. Yay for peach season. I'd love to give these biscuits a try. The only cobbler I've made is with Bisquick.

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    1. I used to use Bisquick years ago too when I would make cobblers for my girls when they were little. This taste so much better! Thanks, Lea Ann!

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  12. I'm sure your gourmet dinner group is always thankful when you make dessert, Susan. I love that your SIL said that this one of the best desserts that he'd ever had. I'm looking forward to some more recipes from your recent gourmet dinner.

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    1. Actually, all the recipes are assigned to the other couples in the group, except for the protein course and maybe a side dish. This makes our gourmet group so much less daunting when you don't have to make everything. I usually test all the recipes first though :)

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  13. Looks divine Susan! I've made a blueberry/nectarine dessert for 20+ years that we love. We're getting ready to host our dinner group before we leave for Italy. The theme? Italy...LOL

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