Upside down peach shoe store in New York, July 21, 2023. Melissa Clark flips the classic upside down, with crisp biscuits serving as a base for juicy, caramelized peaches. A dish styled by Simon Andrews. (David Marosh/New York Times)
There’s something thrilling and suspenseful about flipping over a homemade dessert, whether it’s a fancy apple tarte tatin, a firm upside-down cake with pineapple rings, or a saucy flan.
Any of these acrobatic dishes are best served right side up out of the pan. But it’s that surprising reveal that adds a touch of drama and puts the fruit in a spot where it shines.
That’s the inspiration behind this upside-down peach shoe store.
In a traditional peach cobbler, peaches are mixed with sugar and sometimes butter, covered in a round biscuit dough and baked. Part of the appeal is the understated simplicity of the cobbler, which is spooned out of the baking dish and served in a bowl. But no matter how delicious it is, it doesn’t do much to enhance the appeal of peaches.
Throw in some caramel gilding and an elegant flip, though, and you’ve got a confection that wins “oohs” and “ahhs.”
Most of the effort in this recipe goes into simmering the caramel, which is what makes this recipe really special. Caramelizing sugar deepens flavor, reduces sweetness, softens fruit flavors, and adds complex, pleasant bitterness. Don’t worry if the sugar clumps and clumps when you add the fruit. When simmered together, it melts and the peach juice is condensed, making it even richer.
The biscuits turn golden brown on the surface but remain soft and mellow underneath while the cobbler bakes, so they look more like an upside-down cake with crisp edges than a tatin with a crisp crust. Thing. Also, if you prepare the biscuit dough a few days in advance, it makes a great party food.
After baking, be sure to let the cobbler rest for about 10-15 minutes before turning it over onto a platter. This allows the caramel to set and sensually permeate the biscuit. But don’t leave it too long. Otherwise, the caramel may cool and the fruit may stick to the pan. (If this happens, remove the stuck peaches and gently place them back on top of the biscuit.)
Like all cobblers, this upside-down version is best served with a drizzle of whipped cream or a generous spoonful of yogurt or ice cream. Just don’t hide the achievements that have been successful from the bottom up.
upside down peach cobbler
By Melissa Clarke
This juicy pastry combines peach cobbler with caramel-coated apple tarte tatin. To make it, peaches are caramelized in a skillet with sugar, much like you would put apples in a classic tarte tatin. However, the fruit is not covered with puff pastry or puff pastry, but with a fluffy biscuit crust. While baking, the biscuits puff up and brown, forming a soft golden pillow on which jam-like fruit falls when unmoulded. The whole thing has a slightly more cake-like texture than the usual crisp-skinned tatin, with the appeal of fresh ripe peaches.
Yield: 8 servings
Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes
material
For biscuits:
1 3/4 cups/225 grams all purpose flour
1/4 cup/50 grams sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
6/85 grams cold unsalted butter, diced
3/4 cup and 1/192 milliliter Tbsp sour cream, add more for serving
1 tablespoon Demerara or raw sugar
About stuffing:
3/4 cup/150 grams sugar
A pinch of fine sea salt
1 teaspoon honey
4/56 grams of unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and left at room temperature
2 pounds of small peaches or nectarines (8-10), halved and seeded (if using larger fruit, quarter instead of halve)
sour cream, fresh cream, or whipped cream (optional)
direction
1. Place parchment paper or wax paper on a small rimmed baking sheet or large plate.
2. To prepare the biscuits, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a food processor. Add butter until mixture resembles lima beans. Just add 3/4 cup sour cream and mix. Alternatively, you can cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or two knives in a bowl and stir in the sour cream. If the mixture is still too crumbly to hold together, add a tablespoon or two of water (or a little more; it should come together as a crumbly, not powdery dough).
3. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and tap the dough to incorporate any leftover or dry bits. Divide the dough into 9 equal parts and roll them into balls. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate and flatten the balls into a 1/2-inch thick disc. Wrap loosely in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes and up to 24 hours.
4. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. To prepare the filling, combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, salt, and honey in a 10-inch nonstick skillet. Bring to a boil while stirring. Stop stirring and continue to simmer until the caramel is a deep Irish Setter amber color (which may be difficult to see in the pan), 6 to 10 minutes.
5. Remove from heat, add butter and mix (back off as caramel may bubble and splatter).
6. Place the peaches cut side down as close to the pan as possible. Return to heat and simmer the peaches in the caramel for 5 minutes, then carefully turn the peaches over, cut side up. Simmer for another 5 minutes to condense the juice.
7. Decorate the peaches with biscuits. Brush the biscuits with the remaining tablespoon of sour cream and sprinkle with the demerara sugar.
8. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch the overflowing filling and bake for 40-50 minutes until the biscuits are golden brown. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly (about 10-15 minutes, but no longer), then carefully transfer to a plate and roll any peaches stuck to the pan back onto the dough. It may look runny, but the caramel and juice will harden as it cools. Serve warm with sour cream, heavy cream, or whipped cream.