You're a Peach.
A couple weekends ago I went to Long Beach for a graduation. It was more of an unexpected trip in the sense that I had no expectations as to what was going to happen. I didn't know anyone I was going to see, I didn't know the person who was graduating, I didn't know what Long Beach was like, and I had no idea what I was going to eat. None of this bothered me whatsoever; I was going with my significant other and happy just to go on an adventure.
It never really occurred to me what I would eat during my stay in Southern California. And I surely didn't expect to have an extraordinary peach cobbler.
Just as a precursor, I don't eat dessert. I just don't like it. I'll have a bite of chocolate on occasion, and maybe a bit of ice cream since I use to be an ice cream scooper in my Bi-Rite past, but it's never something I've craved. I don't have a sugar tooth, just a savory one. If I'm going to have dessert, it's going to be a Medjool date or grapes post-dinner.
This however, was a dessert I would eat anytime. Post-graduation, post-family-lunch peach cobbler waiting at the house. But it was weird because it didn't smell like any fruit pie I've ever had and instead smelled like those cinna-buns you get at the mall. Like the really gooey, cinnamon-y, ones that you don't make at home, ever.
I later found out that canned peach + cinnamon + cake mix = best peach cobbler.
So as soon as we drove home that's what I wanted to make.
Ironically when I arrived at the market the next day for work, peaches had flooded the shelved and there was already a large tray of bruised and soon-to-be moldy ones up in the breakroom for the taking. I took a dozen on my way out and headed home, making sure to tell my better half to pick up supermarket cake mix.
Thus my version of peach cobbler came to be. Just to be clear, I've already made it twice since I've been back.
Summer Peach Cobbler
makes an 8-12 inch cobbler*
1 dozen peaches (mixed variety), roughly cut into small pieces
1-2 tbsp cinnamon
1 stick (8oz) unsalted butter
1 tsp salt
1 box generic yellow or white cake mix
1/4 cup sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. While heating, place all of the sliced peaches in the oven safe bowl. Sprinkle in the sugar, salt and some of the cinnamon. Spread out in the dish so there's an even layer distributed.
Now the difficult part: Sprinkle half (or more--more just means better) of the cake mix directly on top of the peaches. Make sure that, too, is distributed in an even layer. It will be powdery and look weird without any added liquid, but it works!
Sprinkle the remainder of the cinnamon and evenly dollop the butter all over the top of the cobbler.
Either cover the top with a oven-safe lid, or aluminum foil, and place in the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the top and let cook, uncovered, in the oven for another 5-7 minutes. If the top is getting too brown during this time, you can slightly lower the oven.**
Remove from oven and let sit and cool for 5-10 minutes at least. Best served with ice cream on top!
*You will also need a baking tray or Pyrex/Corning casserole dish. Whatever is a deep square oven-safe container will work. My ceramic baking dish has a glass cover too, if you don't have this you can use aluminum foil to cover the dish.
**I found that I had to lower the oven because the top was browning significantly and the peaches were bubbling very violently!
