Cornbread Peach Cobbler

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Cornbread Peach Cobbler with thyme infused honey butter is a rustic Southern-inspired dessert made with juicy fresh peaches and tender, golden cornbread with crisp, buttery edges.

Prep Time45

Cook Time22

cooling20

Total Time1 27

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Julie Maestre

Ingredients

For The Peach Filling:

2 pounds fresh firm peaches sliced into ½ in thick slices, about 6 cups, divided
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water

For the thyme-infused honey butter:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 ½ tablespoon honey
Pinch of salt

For the cornbread mixture:

1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup yellow cornmeal
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes,
¾ cup cold buttermilk

Instructions

Prepare the Peaches

Reserve 3 peach slices for topping, if desired. Cut the reserved slices in half lengthwise to create thin slices. Set aside.
Place the remaining peaches in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with the brown sugar, granulated sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Gently toss to coat and let stand for 25-30 stirring occasionally, until the peaches release their juices.

Infuse the butter:

Meanwhile, place the butter and thyme sprigs in a small saucepan. Melt the butter over low heat, then continue cooking over low heat for 10-12 minutes to infuse the thyme. Do not let the butter brown.
Strain the butter through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing gently on the thyme to extract the butter. Discard the thyme.
Stir in the honey and salt. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes, then stir vigorously until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Return to the refrigerator for another 5-10 minutes, stirring once more, until the butter is thickened, but still soft and spreadable. Set aside at room temperature.

Thicken the peach filling:

Pour the cornstarch slurry over the peaches and gently stir. Cook over medium heat until the filling comes to a gentle simmer. Continue cooking for 3-5 minutes, carefully turning the peaches occasionally, until they begin to soften and the juices thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not overcook the peaches: they should still hold their shape. Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare the cornbread topping:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still remaining.
Pour in the buttermilk and gently fold with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. Do not overmix the dough. It should be thick.

Assemble the cobbler:

Drop the cornbread mixture evenly over the warm peach filling using a large spoon or ice cream scoop. Gently spread as needed to cover most of the surface, but do not press the dough down into the peaches.
Arrange the reserved peach slices over the cornbread, pressing them down about halfway into the dough. Lightly brush the exposed peach slices with a little peach juice from the skillet to help prevent them from drying out during baking.
Place the skillet on a large baking sheet to help prevent spillage. Bake at 375°F for 22-25 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown and cooked through and the peach filling is bubbling around the edges.
Let the cobbler rest for 10 minutes. Generously spread the thyme-infused butter over the warm cornbread. You may not use all of the butter. Let cool for another 10-15 minutes before serving.
Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

Notes

Use firm peaches. Very ripe or overly soft peaches can become mushy by the time the cobbler finishes baking.
Don’t overcook the peach filling on the stovetop. You only want to cook it until the juices thicken and the peaches begin to soften. They’ll continue cooking in the oven.
Place the cast-iron skillet on a baking sheet before putting it in the oven. The filling gets nice and bubbly and may spill over the sides.
Cut the peaches into about ½ inch thick pieces. If they’re too thin they’ll break down too quickly.

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