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Peach Cobbler with Cornmeal Biscuits

Jul 09, 2025

Peach cobbler is the soul of summer, and this version leans into both comfort and nuance. Juicy, peak-season peaches are gently spiced with coriander, mace, and ginger, then brightened with orange zest and a splash of orange blossom water. This may not be the flavor combo you'd expect, but everything in it just amplifies the flavor of ripe, peak season peaches. The topping is a tender cornmeal biscuit—savory-sweet, golden, and just crumbly enough to soak up all that bubbling fruit. It’s a dessert made for warm evenings and long conversations, especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Serves 12 • Fits a 9x13-inch baking dish

Cornmeal Biscuit Topping

Ingredients:
1¾ cups (230 g) all-purpose flour
⅔ cup (90 g) cornmeal
1–2 tablespoons granulated sugar (use 1 for a more savory biscuit)
½ tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea or table salt
½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 cup (235 ml) cold buttermilk

Instructions:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter and use your fingers or a pastry blender to cut it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter. Pour in the cold buttermilk and stir gently with a spatula or fork until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix. Place the dough in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

Spiced Peach Filling

Ingredients:
4 lb fresh peaches, sliced into ¼-inch wedges (skins on or peeled)
4 tablespoons (1/8 cup) ground coriander (Diaspora Co.’s Nandini coriander is the best I've ever had)
6 whole pieces mace
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
2 teaspoons ground ginger
Zest of 1 orange
2 teaspoons orange blossom water
400 g (about 2 cups) granulated sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions:
Place the sliced peaches in a large mixing bowl. Add the ground coriander, mace, vanilla bean seeds (and pod, if desired), ginger, orange zest, and orange blossom water. Sprinkle in the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Toss gently to coat the fruit evenly. Let the mixture sit for 15–20 minutes at room temperature while the oven preheats to 425°F, allowing the juices to begin releasing and the flavors to bloom.

Assembly and Baking

Pour the peach filling and all accumulated juices into a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread it evenly. Drop spoonfuls of the chilled biscuit dough over the fruit, leaving some gaps so steam can escape and the biscuits have room to spread. Bake the cobbler for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and bake for another 30-40 minutes or until the biscuit topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling at the edges and in the center. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving to allow the juices to thicken.

Serving and Storage

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, lightly whipped cream, or just as it is. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and are excellent reheated gently in the oven.

Note: This cobbler is designed for a crowd, but it can be halved easily to fit an 8x8-inch pan—just keep the biscuit-to-fruit ratio the same and adjust bake time slightly as needed.

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