‘We adapted a recipe.’ Husband and wife say Peach Cobbler dish influenced by families

When Bonnie and John Stafford serve their fruit cobbler, the recipe they bake is influenced by both sides of their families.

Bonnie is a teacher in the Center School District and John is a music professor at Kansas City Kansas Community College and music director at Community Christian Church. They live in Mission and have a 3-year-old daughter.

Q: Do you have similar cooking styles and enjoy cooking dinner together?

A: “Not so much,” Bonnie said. “I especially like to bake, so I often bake cinnamon rolls, buns, French bread and other breads. When baking, you have to follow a specific recipe.

“John especially enjoys grilling and rarely follows a recipe. But we both like to cook and our daughter likes to help both of us in the kitchen.”

Q: How did you both learn to cook?

A: John explained that he grew up watching his mom cook, and enjoyed helping her in the kitchen.

“She was a great cook and taught me to use a pinch of this or a little of that.”

Bonnie said she has always liked to cook. “But my enjoyment grew after college. Just like many in my generation, I learned a lot by watching the cooking shows on The Food Network.”

Q: What are dinners like at your home?

A: “We like to eat at home, around our table,” Bonnie said. “We don’t eat out that often.”

Their daughter, Bonnie said, enjoys breakfast and lunch, but her interest in dinner is spotty.

“This is something many families can probably identify with. We ask her to just taste what is served. I do not prepare a separate meal for her, but often try to serve something with noodles or pasta that she will enjoy so I know there is something she will eat. She also enjoys raw vegetables and hummus or other dips, fruits and meat, so I serve them frequently.

“I like to bake but try to make smaller desserts. I want to serve my family without a lot of leftovers.”

Q: What tips would you offer to someone just learning to cook?

A: “Watch the Food Network or follow a cook or chef you enjoy on Instagram,” Bonnie suggests. “Choose a dish you really like to eat, do an Internet search on Google to find recipes, then follow that recipe and practice making it.”

Q: Can you tell us about the recipe you are sharing?

A: “We are sharing the recipe for our peach cobbler,” Bonnie said. “There are many different cobbler recipes out there, and each of our families made cobbler a little differently. We adapted a recipe, so it has a little influence from each of families.

“While you can use fresh or frozen fruit, I especially like to use frozen peaches as frozen ones are always perfect. Sometimes, it is hard to find that perfect, fresh peach. Frozen fruit is also easy as there is no preparation necessary.

“You can use whatever fruit you enjoy in this recipe. I like the orange juice with peaches, as it brings out their flavor, but I think the lemon juice is better when I make it with other fruits. Of course, you can always top each serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.”

Peach Cobbler with Cinnamon Drop Biscuit Topping

Makes 6 servings

For the fruit:

Nonstick cooking spray or butter for the baking pan

4 to 7 cups sliced peaches, fresh or frozen

½ to 1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon orange or lemon juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the drop biscuit topping

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons light brown sugar or granulated sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

¼ cup cold unsalted butter

½ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

Sugar, for sprinkling, optional

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter the pan lightly.

Place the fruit into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, juice, cornstarch and cinnamon and mix to coat all pieces of fruit. Pour the fruit into the baking dish. It should fill the dish about ½ to ¾ full, leaving plenty of room for the biscuit topping.

For the topping, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in the work bowl of food processor. Add the cold butter cubes and pulse until the butter cubes are pea-sized pieces. (As an alternative method, rub the mixture with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly and the butter makes pea-sized pieces.)

Add the buttermilk and vanilla extract pulsing or mixing until it comes together. Be careful not to over-mix as that makes the dough tough.

Scoop spoonfuls of dough onto the fruit mixture. Spread them out so that every serving will have a bit of biscuit on it. Brush the dough with melted butter. If desired, sprinkle a little sugar on top.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. When done, the biscuits should be golden brown on edges and fruit filling should bubble. Allow to cool before serving.

Tip: In a pinch, if you don’t have buttermilk, pour 1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice into a measuring cup and add milk to equal ½ cup. Allow it to stand for five to 10 minutes, then use it in place of the buttermilk listed in the recipe.

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Roxanne Wyss and Kathy Moore are cookbook authors and food consultants that make up The Electrified Cooks. They have published over fourteen cookbooks and thousands of recipes. They are members of Les Dames d’Escoffier and blog at pluggedintocooking.com.