Peach Cobbler Pie

Peach Cobbler Pie

Peach cobbler or peach pie?  Sometimes it is hard to decide (or even know the difference) when you have some beautiful, ripe peaches and they need to be consumed quickly.  Our market has a large variety of lovely peaches right now and I feel inspired.  Still, cobbler or pie?  And in choosing, what kind of topping?  If it is cobbler, do I choose a pie crust or make the quick cobbler from my childhood that is something like cake?  In the end, I decided not to decide.  I like the style of cobbler that a neighbor used to make that has crust baked in the middle of the cobbler, layer-style, so I thought I would try something like that in a pie.  I have also been thinking about portion size lately and I settled on making some small pies this time rather than a regular-sized one.

So, what is the difference between cobbler and pie?  Maybe through exploring similarities, we can define what is different.  First, the fillings are prepared in the same way.  Usually, the fruit is sliced, tossed with sugar, spices and some thickener such as cornstarch or tapioca, and then spooned into the baking dish.  The crust can be the same recipe for pie and cobbler.  Also, toppings can be very similar - some cobblers have a lattice crust and pies can have a crumble topping.  The difference is more in the pan and the way it is served.  Pies are baked in a pie pan and served in carefully cut wedges.  Cobbler is typically baked in a square or rectangular baking dish and served by the spoonful.  Cobbler is less formal and can usually feed a larger crowd.

In my process for this pie, I rolled out the pie dough for my small pies.  Then I cut the scraps into 1-inch rectangles and baked them with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar.  I combined these crispy bits with my fruit and baked it all together in the pie shell and added a crumb topping.  The result?  Really yummy peach cobbler pie.

Peach Cobbler Pie

Yield:  3 4-inch pies

1 recipe for single crust pie
Cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling
4 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar

Heat oven to 400˚ F.  Roll out dough and cut 3 circles to fit the pie plates.  Crimp the edges and allow to rest in the refrigerator or freezer.  Cut scraps into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces.  Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Bake until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes.  Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine peach slices, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, allspice, and almond extract.  Fold in the cooled crust pieces.  In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, flour and brown sugar.  Mix well and mash into large crumbs.

Remove pie shells from the refrigerator.  Spoon the peach mixture evenly into the 3 pie shells.  Divide the crumb mixture among the pies.  Place the pies onto a baking sheet and bake 10 minutes at 400˚ F.  Turn down the temperature to 350˚ F and continue baking until the crust is golden and crisp and the filling is bubbly, about 40 minutes more.

Allow to cool.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.