Peach Cobbler & Peach Iced Tea

Southern Peach Cobbler
This is one of my favorite Summer desserts besides peach pie. I am making it from scratch using fresh peaches, you can use frozen or canned peaches if it is not in season. Using fresh peaches will yield a much better taste and aroma.
I also use leftover peach syrup to make peach iced tea as a by-product of this recipe. It is so good too.
This recipe can be made in a 9”x 13” baking dish for a thinner crust or a 9” x 9” baking dish for a thicker crust. I use a 9” x 9” baking dish here.
How to prepare the peaches:
Make a cross-cut slightly on top of the peaches and blanch them in boiling water for 30-45 seconds. Then place them in iced cold water before peeling the skin. Then take the seed out and slice it into 1/4” to 1/2” thick. Measure about 4 cups (or 1 pound bag of frozen peaches/ 4 (15 oz.) cans of peaches in syrup)
Ingredients:
Peach filling:
5-6 large (or 9-10 small) peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar, depending on how tart/sweet your peaches
1/2 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
A pinch of cinnamon, optional
Batter:
1/2 cup (1 stick) of melted butter (or brown butter) for the pan
3/4 to 1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour or self-rising flour
2 tsp baking powder (omit if using self-rising flour)
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk or buttermilk
1 tsp ground cinnamon for topping, optional
Method:
1. In a large pot or skillet, combine the prepared peaches, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and water. Bring it to a boil and cook until sugar dissolves for about 1-2 minutes. Do not overcook it since it is going to be baked again. You will have about 3/4 to 1 cup of peach syrup in the pot.
2. Turn off the heat and add vanilla. You can add a pinch of cinnamon if you want. Stir and set it aside.
3. Add the butter to the baking dish. Then place it in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 deg. F. As soon as the butter melted take it out. You can let it bake a little longer until you get brown butter if you want.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar and mix well.
5. Add in the milk and mix until well combined. This will be thick like a pancake batter.
6. Pour or drop the batter into the melted butter and spread it around if need to but do not mix.
7. Use a slotted spoon to get the peaches out from the syrup and scatter the peaches on top of the batter. Do not mix.
8. Add some peach syrup over the top (about 1/2 to 1 cup). The amount of syrup depends on how full your baking dish is. Then sprinkle the top with cinnamon (this is optional).
Note: You should leave about 3/4" to 1” from the top edge of the baking dish so that the batter will not overflow while baking. I can only add about 1/2 cup to my 9” x 9” baking dish. If using a 13” x 9” size you will have more space to add more syrup to it (1 cup).
9. Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until golden brown on top. It will be bubbling.
10. Let cool down before serving. It is excellent with vanilla ice cream.
Peach Ice Tea
Ingredients:
3/4 to 1 cup peach syrup
2 cups boiling water
4 tea bags (regular Lipton tea/green tea/or Earl Gray tea)
Brew the tea bags in boiling water for 5 minutes then mix it into the peach syrup. Str and mix well.
Then pour the peach tea into a glass full of ice. Make 2 glasses.