Life's Little Journie: September 2011

I've come to appreciate this fall like weather quite a bit so to kick off the start of the season JJ and I made a trip to Cedarburg, WI. We did a little antiquing, smelled some pumpkin spiced candles, had hot apple cider and wore sweaters...too early you say? I think not, especially considering that fall happens to be one of the shortest seasons and one of the BEST!

I also found some time to make a cobbler with fruit the summer brought that just so happened to be fall-colorfilled. I took this recipe from Guilty Kitchen- A hearty whole wheat crust infused with thyme, filled with peach wedges and whole blackberries-- definitely a favorite!

Peach and Blackberry Upside Down Cobbler

Yield: 10-12 servings
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes

For the Filling:
2 cups fresh blackberries
3 peaches, pitted and sliced into wedges
1/2 cup suagr
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tsp corn starch
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

1. In a large bowl, combine the peaches, blackberries and sugar. Let stand 30 minutes.
2. Drain the juices from the fruit through a colander into a small saucepan. Stir the lemon juice, cornstarch, vanilla and salt into the juices.
3. Allow the sauce to come to a boil, turn to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until thickened.
4. Return juices to fruit and toss to combine. Set aside.

For the Biscuit Dough:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup pastry flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp fresh thyme
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown butter, cold and cubed**
3/4 cup buttermilk

**How to make brown butter: In a small saucepan, heat butter over medium high. Allow to come to a boil, but do not stir. Swirl the butter around every minute or so. When the butter begins to foam up and there is a nutty smell and a brown tinge to the butter, remove from heat and cool in refrigerator.

1. In a large bowl, stir all dry ingredients to combine.
2. Cut in the cold brown butter with a pastry cutter until small crumbs form.
3. Pour in the buttermilk and stir until a dough is formed. Do not over mix. Pat the dough into a WELL greased 9″ cast iron pan, making sure to push the dough up the sides about halfway (it will rise a bit).

4. Pour fruit over crust and top with crumble topping (recipe follows).

For the Crumble Topping:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup oats
1 tsp vanilla

1. Cream butter and sugar together in a small bowl. Add flour, oats and vanilla and mix well.
2. Using your fingertips, break the mixture apart into the top of the cobbler.
3. Bake in a 375°F oven for 50-55 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature and serve with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

-recipe taken from Guilty Kitchen!!