# Help with a peach cobbler recipe? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 12, 2013, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-peach-cobbler-recipe/668707 "2013-09-12T21:31:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-peach-cobbler-recipe/668707/1 "2013-09-12T21:31:40Z")
My husband’s favorite dessert is peach cobbler, and I’m in a rare baking mood. I want to try [this recipe](http://blackamericacooks.com/recipes/?p=428) but the instructions appear to use the flour, salt, and baking powder twice. Help? Or, if you’d rather lay another recipe on me, lemme have it! The quest for the perfect cobbler requires much experimentation! Note: I’ll end up having to make it gluten free so if it requires something exotic and gluten-y, I probably can’t use it. Flour is not exotic. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-peach-cobbler-recipe/668707/2 "2013-09-12T21:34:45Z")
Looks like you use those ingredients for two different steps, coating the peaches and making the top crust. But without gluten, it’s going to be weird. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-peach-cobbler-recipe/668707/3 "2013-09-12T21:38:25Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > Looks like you use those ingredients for two different steps, coating the peaches and making the top crust. > > But without gluten, it’s going to be weird. But they don’t say how much to use at which step. And it’ll be fine without the gluten. Gluten-free flours work well. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-peach-cobbler-recipe/668707/4 "2013-09-12T21:44:59Z")
Hmmm…I think it’s a typo for the baking powder in the peaches, although I’ve seen weirder. The flour should be split as directed in the recipe, sure, as it will help thicken the peach juice into a “gravy” (and also be used to make a crust). I do use a little salt in my fruit filling\*, but 1/2 a tsp sounds a bit much - I’d use 1/4 tsp. You’d still want 1/2 tsp in the crust, though. The baking powder probably wouldn’t \*hurt \*to be in the filling, and maybe it makes it a little lighter and velvetier, but it’s not something I’ve used in fruit filling myself. \*Salt makes sweet things taste better, 'cause it breaks up into sodium and chloride ions on your tongue and activates the taste receptor cells, making everything taste more intense. /science nerd On Preview: Instead of gluten free flour in the peaches, use 2 T of cornstarch (half cornstarch has an equal thickening power of flour.) Save your gluten free flour for the crust. Also, make sure you’re using gluten free baking powder. [Who knew that was a place they hide gluten?](http://glutenfreecooking.about.com/od/glutenfreecookingbasics/f/faqisbakingpowderglutenfree.htm) ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-peach-cobbler-recipe/668707/5 "2013-09-12T21:51:15Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Hmmm…I think it’s a typo for the baking powder in the peaches, although I’ve seen weirder. The flour should be split as directed in the recipe, sure, as it will help thicken the peach juice into a “gravy” (and also be used to make a crust). I do use a little salt in my fruit filling\*, but 1/2 a tsp sounds a bit much - I’d use 1/4 tsp. You’d still want 1/2 tsp in the crust, though. The recipe doesn’t say to split the flour, though, unless I’m just not seeing it. (Which is very likely!) “Combine peaches, 1/4 cup each of white and brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, mace, zest, baking powder and salt in a large bowl, lightly tossing to coat peaches.” “Meanwhile, pulse together, flour, remaining 1/4 cup each white and brown sugars, baking powder and salt in a food processor.” It’s just saying flour, baking powder, and salt twice and splitting the sugar. Unless you think the 1/4 cup refers to the flour as well? That seems strange when she says “remaining sugar” later. Why not remaining flour and sugar? ETA: Thanks for the heads up on baking powder. So far, I’ve just been using gf self-rising, so it hasn’t been a problem, but I’ll know going forward! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-peach-cobbler-recipe/668707/6 "2013-09-12T22:01:56Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > The recipe doesn’t say to split the flour, though, unless I’m just not seeing it. > > “Combine peaches, 1/4 cup each of white and brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, mace, zest, baking powder and salt in a large bowl, lightly tossing to coat peaches.” > > “Meanwhile, pulse together, flour, remaining 1/4 cup each white and brown sugars, baking powder and salt in a food processor.” > > It’s just saying flour, baking powder, and salt twice and splitting the sugar. Unless you think the 1/4 cup refers to the flour as well? That seems strange when she says “remaining sugar” later. Why not remaining flour and sugar? It’s a badly written recipe, there’s no getting around that. I parse it as, “combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup flour, cinnamon, mace, zest, baking powder and salt…”, but that’s based on having cooked a fair number of cobblers in my day. But yeah, I don’t think the remaining 3/4 cup of flour would be enough for the crust, either, now that I think about it. That would be an awfully chintzy crust, even for lattice style cobbler…And there’s that 1T flour unaccounted for. Maybe she meant that “plus 1 level tablespoon” flour in the fruit and 1 cup in the crust? That will be a pretty thin filling, but some people like them that way. Might I interest you in [another cobbler recipe](http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/peach-cobbler0.html)? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-peach-cobbler-recipe/668707/7 "2013-09-12T22:06:57Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Might I interest you in [another cobbler recipe](http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/peach-cobbler0.html)? 😃 You definitely may! 😃 Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-peach-cobbler-recipe/668707/8 "2013-09-12T22:09:36Z")
A little bonus: a shot of Southern Comfort will really bring out the peachiness of the cobbler, and most of the alcohol will evaporate during cooking. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-peach-cobbler-recipe/668707/9 "2013-09-13T00:02:13Z")
You could try a topping with oatmeal like in this [recipe](http://www.thekitchn.com/craving-summer-recipe-gluten-f-142937). Here are the topping ingredients: For the Crusty Topping: 3/4 cup gluten–free oats 1/4 cup gluten free oat flour (you can put a rounded 1/4 cup of oats into a food processor and pulse until a flour is achieved) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup butter, cut into small pieces 1/3 cup pecans/walnuts (whichever you prefer, or use both as I did)