"Peach Cobbler" Dessert Topping

Oddly enough, I don't ever remember eating cobbler. Pies, shortcakes, crisps, crumbles, squares - all parts of my life up till now. But I have never tasted, much less made, the biscuit-topped dessert, despite traveling to the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida as a child.

So what makes me think that I can whip up a "Peach Cobbler in a Jar" type of dessert topping? Well, the answer is twofold: first, I had the "on paper" basics from Amy Bronee's book The Canning Kitchen: 101 Simple Small Batch Recipes, which had a recipe that looked perfect for my drippy-perfect fruit from the market. Second, I had the soul and spirit of one of my coworkers and friends, for whom peach cobbler was essentially a religion growing up. I eagerly soaked up her stories of enjoying her aunt's version of the dessert, and by the time school let out for the year peach season seemed even further away!

Thankfully, the sweet, golden nectar of Summer peaches is here now, and with a few simple accoutrements I had a spoonable, way-too-easy-to-eat cobbler (without the cobbler) jarred up, with a few little bowlfuls for us to eat ourselves. A perfect marriage of butterscotchy brown sugar and heady spices, I hope I can make a few more batches before they disappear again!

What to do with this? Well, if you follow our logic, spoon a large helping over a shortcake biscuit, stir it into plain yogurt, or turn leftover rice into dessert with a splash of almond milk and the microwave.

Shared with Gluten Free Fridays 

"Peach Cobbler" Dessert Topping
Adapted from The Canning Kitchen by Amy Bronee 
Makes ~4 cups, 16 (1/4 cup) servings
43 oz (1220 g or about 7 medium-large) fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
pinch allspice
pinch cinnamon
pinch kosher salt
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp butter flavouring
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp butterscotch schnapps (optional, I like it's flavour here)

1. In a pot, combine the peaches, sugar and spices. Let stand 30 minutes.
2. Bring to a brisk simmer and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the extracts, lemon juice and schnapps.
4. Can 15 minutes in a waterbath.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 52.8
Total Fat: 0.2 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 1.7 mg
Total Carbs: 14.6 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g
Protein: 0.5 g