Texas Kitchen: Scotty Scott’s peach cobbler recipe

Scotty Scott, chef, blogger, and owner of the Fort Worth food truck Abe Fromage, calls this in-season, peachy dessert a cobbler—not a pie, as his mom does—so we will, too. Scott, whose first cookbook, Fix Me a Plate, was among NPR’s 10 best cookbooks for its summer 2022 roundup, delights in offering his riffs on classic soul food dishes like shrimp and fried grits.

The chef is an advocate of restaurants in the city he’s lived and worked in, on and off, for the past decade. “It’s been amazing to see the transformation,” Scott says of Fort Worth’s now-thriving restaurant scene. “Initially, if you wanted to eat a certain cuisine, you had to go to Dallas.” There’s no need to go anywhere special to enjoy this Southern treat, whether you call it a cobbler or a pie.

Scott’s tip? Be sure to chill your dough so that it’s easier to work with.

Serves 8

Crust

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) chilled salted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 tablespoons cold water

Filling

• 6 cups fresh peaches, peeled and sliced
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon orange zest
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg, beaten to blend with  2 teaspoons water (for glaze)

Directions

FOR CRUST:

In a medium-size bowl, add flour, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, and salt. Whisk to combine. Cut butter into flour with a fork until crumbs appear. Slowly add cold water to flour and form into a ball; quickly knead dough to bring it together.

Remove dough from bowl, cut into 2 sections, and form each into a ball. Flatten each ball into a disk, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 35 minutes.

FOR FILLING:

Place peaches, butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and add cinnamon, orange zest, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla. Stir.

Preheat oven to 375°. Remove dough from fridge. Unwrap 1 disk and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to about 1/3-inch thickness using a rolling pin. Place dough on the bottom and up the sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Pour or spoon peach filling onto the dough.

Roll out second disk to 1/3-inch thickness. Using a pastry scraper or knife, cut dough into 2-inch-wide strips. Carefully place strips atop cobbler. Brush top of dough with glaze, then bake 35–40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack for at least 2 hours. Can be served à la mode.