Texas Peach Cobbler

Real Texas Peaches – And A gift for You

Whew!  I just had the best Real Texas peach cobbler ever made last night complete with homemade vanilla bean ice cream served in a bowl that had been slightly heated.  The peaches came from our own trees, hand picked at just the right moment in time, hand peeled with a damn sharp knife from Germany,  and freshly baked into that cobbler.  Additionally, this cobbler had Ramona’s famous pie crust made with Tequila both the delicious crust coating top and bottom. I have to tell y’all the blend of those peaches off of the trees in our yard, along with that heavily vanilla bean infused ice cream was: The. Best. Ever. 

The ice cream flowed over the peaches and the pie crust and melted into the juices that created this unbelievable crescendo of flavors that is guaranteed to tantalize Texans for generations.  

The pie crust was firm and cooked well-through, the peaches were amazingly sweet, and the home-made ice cream was better than Bluebell.  It was perfect.  I could have passed on at that moment and been perfectly happy.  I finished that bowl, let it rest on my stomach, laid my head back on the back of my recliner and waited for the rapture.

In Texas there are varieties of peaches that transcend all others from those lesser states.  Those exceptional peaches are called by a couple of different names, but generally, they are known as Fredericksburg peaches.  They could also come from Stonewall or just as generically hail from the Texas Hill Country.

Those succulent, sweet tasting, peachy peaches are further subdivided into freestone and semi-freestone referring to the peach pit.  I guess all peaches have a peach pit, it’s just that the the freestone peaches split apart easier and the pit comes out freely, or releases much easier, free-er if you will, than the others.  In the Fredericksburg/Stonewall area, the semi-freestone peaches ripen around June 1 and the freestone peaches are best in mid June or so.

Our peaches here at the hacienda are of two varieties which I simply call the early tree and the late tree.  One has peaches that ripen about three weeks earlier than the other tree.  If a sneaky Texas freeze comes along and snips the buds off that early tree, we still have that backup tree to provide for us later in the year. Very handy.

Our peach trees here in the Texas Hill Country are mighty good.  We are located 52 miles from Fredericksburg and 15 miles west of Boerne.  It’s a little place out in the country with Bandera just north down the road and San Antonio 15 minutes to the south.  Conditions must be just right here because the two peach trees have provided us with some of the very best peaches I’ve ever had the pleasure to enjoy.  

But they may not the the best I’ve ever had….Let me explain

But the absolute sweetest peaches ever?

As sweet as my two peach trees and the Fredericksburg/Stonewall peaches are, they are not the sweetest, juiciest, or most divinely tasting peaches I’ve ever had.  That honor goes back to a particular peach tree of my youth.

Back in the days of my attendance at Jr. High which included 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grades, most all of us walked to school.  We were free-range kids before free range was cool.  My walk took me down the ally between Pennsylvania and Maryland streets, turning right with Clarence Morrow’s beautiful back yard on the left and Jeff Kelly’s house on the right.  From there, it was up 8^th street past Dick McReavy’s house where he operated his electrical contracting business.  Rolls of wire and supplies were spread out in his back and side yards and carport, and more supplies filled the back of his red and white pickup truck.  The door was open to his truck.  Always.  He just never closed the door when he parked.  

Up in the next block I made my way past where my first grade teacher lived, Mrs. Nunn and her kids, Sherrie and Brenda. I was friends with someone in nearly every house I passed and to this day am friends with them.  I finally hit Depot street (now Main Ave.) where I usually met with my friend Clark Colvin.  Clark had two older brothers and one older sister. Bert, Bruce and Rora. Clark and I usually stopped briefly at a small rickety garage behind his house next to the alley, then it was just a half block to school from there.  Clark was not there that morning, but there was a fresh cigarette butt in the dirt, so I knew he must have gone on before me.  I stepped into the alley and walked a few steps along side the concrete block wall at the Mann residence.  Sam and Theo Mann.  Parents of Tunkie and Kenny Mann, two big strong guys who were in high school.  

For some reason, I looked up and shining between the branches just over the concrete block fence that guarded it, was the biggest, most magnificent peach I had ever seen.  It had to be as big as a baseball and perfect in every way.  There were other peaches in this tree, but that peach was obviously better looking than all the others.  

My gaze of adoration was rudely interrupted when the bell rang for first period classes. I was lusting after Theo Mann’s prize peach and the harsh sound of the first call to class startled me back into reality.  The school bell could be heard for many blocks away, but it was particularly loud and irritating at just half block’s distance.  I took off at a run to not be late and face the wrath of junior high principal Frank Horton.  Frank Horton once told me and Clark Colvin as we stood at attention in front of him that he “had handled men under fire on a battle ship and he could damn sure handle us.”  I believed him and just the memory of his words spurred me on.   I grabbed at my books as I picked up speed to beat the tardy bell.

My mind wandered all through the day trying to figure out how I was going to get that wonderful peach from Theo Mann’s peach tree.  There was the wall that had to be scaled.  There were the two brothers who had to be located and avoided as well as the family dog who must have weighed 150 pounds.  Sam Mann was also an imposing figure I had seen drinking with the other men at Lefty’s Pool Hall.  Then there was Mrs. Mann.  She always seemed so regal and elegant out tending her roses and their prized blooms.  All were factors to be considered when planning my mission on how best to get the magnificent peach.

The actual theft of the peach was fairly easy.  I used a coat hanger bent just right and mounted on an an old broom stick.  I enlisted Clark Colvin and we positioned a wooden box to gain elevation. Clark used a hoe end to hook the limb and draw it closer.  I nabbed the peach just right and it was mine.  

Did I share?…..not even one bite and I have to say that particular peach grown in the barren wastelands of West Texas by Mrs. Theo Mann was the sweetest peach I’ve had ever….and since. It was watered by very alkaline, almost brackish water we all drank and thrived on back then. It must have been the tender loving care shown to that tree by Mrs. Mann that made it so tasty. 

So there you have it.   

I’ve had the best single peach ever grown in the known universe.  Last night I enjoyed the most stupendous Texas peach cobbler served with home-made vanilla bean ice cream.  And, if you go to Fredericksburg, Texas for your peaches, I recommend going almost to Stonewall and sampling some of Jamie Vogel’s 3^rd generation peaches grown on his family orchard.  In the back room, his mom and some of the older ladies from the area are sitting around a big ole table peeling peaches and talking about the old days……Jamie says he’s the only grower around who hires ladies to sit around a table and gossip and trade family stories and keep his mother company.

It’s peach season, y’all.

I’m David out in Real Texas

….Having one more helping of Ramona’s peach cobbler and ice cream.

Here is your Gift:

Ramona’s Real Texas Peach Cobbler

There is none better and yes, I am an expert.

This will be just one of the fantastic recipes in her cookbook:  Real Texas Recipes……by Ramona

Here is the recipe written by Ramona:

David loves Peach Cobbler!  Last year I went through bags and bags of my frozen peaches from our trees trying to perfect a recipe.  I tried the crust and the technique of pouring hot boiling water over the crust; I tried a homemade biscuit crust; I tried a cake-like crust, you name it I tried it, but it just never turned out like he liked it.  He kept saying something about a place named Underwood’s Cafeteria in Brownwood having the best crusty cobbler – – then we argued about whether it had a bottom crust, thick crust, but each time I made it, I told him, let me practice on just the top crust to perfect it first. I just couldn’t get the top crust crispy.

One day, a year later, I was talking with a friend and asked her the difference between a Peach Pie and a Peach Cobbler…the answer was the crust could be just a little thicker and enjoy the extra juice from the peaches, don’t try to thicken!!!  The light bulb came on and I said, so it’s really just a rectangle or square Peach Pie and don’t thicken the filling! My friend and I both laughed…

I came home and made my Tequila Pie Crust and using a rectangle baking dish, rolled out the bottom crust, filled it with the Peach filling and topped with another layer of crust.  I made a thicker rolled up crust for the edges and there it was!

The result:  Perfect and so delicious.

When he had his first bite, David said, “This is it! You’ve done it.  this is better than Underwood’s Cafeteria.”

I do believe I saw a bit of peach juice sliding down his chin as he was bragging on my umpteenth try at making peach cobbler with just the right crust….And you tee-totalers don’t worry.  The tequila that works the magic in the pie crust has the alcohol burned off in cooking.

Ramona’s Real Texas Peach Cobbler

Tequila Pie Crust

12 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter 

1/2 cup Vegetable Shortening

1/4 cup White Tequila (Don’t use Gold Tequila)

1/4 cup Ice Water

3 cups All-Purpose Flour (and additional for dusting counter top)

2 tablespoon Sugar

1 teaspoon Table Salt

Tequila Pie Crust

Cut unsalted butter into 1/4” pieces, chill in freezer 30 minutes.  Place shortening in freezer to chill for 30 minutes.  In a measuring cup, cut shortening into 4 pieces. .

Place Tequila and water in separate measuring cups in refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.

In a food processor, add ¾ of the flour (1/2 cup remaining), sugar, and salt, pulse until combined, approximately 2 – 3 pulses.  Add the chilled butter and shortening over top of flour mixture. Pulse until incorporated and the mixture begins to form uneven clumps with no remaining floury bits, approximately 15 seconds. Scrape down work bowl and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade.  Sprinkle remaining flour over dough. Pulse until mixture has broken up into pieces and is evenly distributed around bowl, 4 to 6 pulses.

Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Sprinkle Tequila and water over mixture.  Stir and press dough together, using stiff rubber spatula, until dough sticks together. Dough will be very sticky.

Divide dough into 2 pieces.  Place dough onto sheets of plastic wrap and flatten into 4” disks. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Before rolling dough out, let it sit on the counter to soften slightly, approximately 10 minutes.  

Lay dough on generously floured counter and sprinkle top side of dough generously with flour.  Roll dough 2″ larger than your 8 x 8″ square baking dish. If dough begins to stick, just pick up and sprinkle more flour, same as the top of dough.  Loosely roll dough around rolling pin. Place the baking dish under the rolled dough and gently unroll dough over the baking dish.  Let excess dough hang over the edge. Place plastic wrap over the crust, leaving the dough hanging over the edge and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile roll out the other piece of dough just a little bigger than the square baking dish.  Place on the backside of a baking sheet.

Roll out all of the scraps of dough into a square 1/4″ thick and slice into thick 1″ strips. They don’t have to be a certain length, or a certain amount.  Just use up any extra dough.  Place on the backside of the baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While crust is in the refrigerator, make the Peach Filling.

Peach Cobbler Filling

8 cups firm but ripe peeled, sliced peaches
¾ cup granulated sugar, plus 2 – 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 425F degrees.

In a mixing bowl, toss together peaches, sugar, flour, salt and nutmeg.

Place mixture in the crust-lined baking dish, and tuck chilled dough trimmings into the center and sides of the filling, scattering them throughout.  Top with butter slices.  Moisten rim of dough with water and slide flat pastry crust on top.  Press edges of dough to seal, and cut a few 1-inch slits in top crust.  Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375F degrees, and continue to bake until crust is deep golden brown and filling begins to bubble through slits, approximately 30 to 40 more minutes.  Cool cobbler on a rack until warm.  If desired, serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream or ice cream.

I also make a homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream to serve on top of the Peach Cobbler.

Enjoy – Ramona Werst

 

 

 

Tagged as: Fredericksburg Peaches, Peach Cobbler, Peach Cobbler recipe, Ramona's peach cobbler, Real Texas Peaches, Vogel Orchard Frederiksburg