This is my mom’s recipe for what she calls a “dump cobbler,” where all you do is mix the batter, dump the fruit on top, and pop it in the oven. It’s soft and moist—almost like a pudding—with big peach flavor. Try different summer fruits, like cherries, blueberries, blackberries, or plums, in place of the peaches. Serve with Farm-Stand Peach Ice Cream (page 363) or lightly sweetened whipped cream.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6 to 8

　　

Filling

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　6 ripe peaches (about 1 1/2 pounds)

　　1/2 cup sugar

　　Juice of 1/2 lemon

　　

Batter

1 cup all-purpose flour

　　1/2 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top

　　1 teaspoon baking powder

　　1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

　　1 cup milk

　　1 large egg

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

　　

Filling

Step 2

Melt the butter, pour it into a 2-quart soufflé or deep casserole dish, and brush over the bottom and sides of the dish to coat evenly.

　　

Step 3

Peel and slice the peaches. Toss with the sugar and lemon juice and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes, until the peaches start to release their juices and the sugar is no longer grainy.

　　

Batter

Step 4

Combine the flour, 1/2 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl and stir to mix. Whisk the milk and egg in a separate bowl. Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.

　　

Step 5

Pour the batter into the prepared dish and dump the peaches in the center of the batter; do not stir. Sprinkle with additional sugar, dot with the butter, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the batter has risen over the peaches and is golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

　　Reprinted with permission from Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal by Sara Foster. Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Sara Foster is the owner of Foster's Market, the acclaimed gourmet take-out store/cafés in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the author of several cookbooks including The Foster's Market Cookbook, winner of the Best Cookbook Award from the Southeast Booksellers Association. She has appeared numerous times on Martha Stewart Living Television and NBC's Today show. She has also been featured in magazines such as More, House Beautiful, and Southern Living, and is featured regularly in Bon Appétit.