Peach & Hazelnut Cobbler

Monty, my husband loves peach cobbler.  I made several in the past, but this one came from the Baking Book I got for Christmas.  I didn't have the pistachio (that was what the recipe called for), so I substituted it with hazelnut.  

Recipe for Peach & Hazelnut Cobbler


For the Filling:                                      
1/2 cup sugar                                       
2 tbsp cornstarch                                  
1/2 tsp cinnamon                                        
1/4 tsp nutmeg                                     
1/4 tsp salt                                            
3 cans of peach halves in light syrup                      


For the Topping:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped finely
1-4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup unsalted butter cut into 1/2 cubes
3/4 cup milk   
Ground cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling                                        
                                                        
Directions:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
Grease 9-by-13 inch baking dish with a 2-qt capacity.


To make the filling, in a small bowl. stir together the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  Place the peaches in a large bowl, sprinkle with the sugar mixture, and toss to distribute evenly.  Spread peach mixture in the prepared baking dish and set aside while you prepare the topping.


To make the topping, in a large bowl, mix together the flour, toasted hazelnuts, sugar, salt, and baking powder.  Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the texture resembles coarse meal, leaving some pieces of butter about the size of small peas.  Add the milk and stir just until the mixture pulls together.


Pinch off chunks of the dough and place them on top of the peach mixture, covering it nearly completely.  
In a small bowl , mix together 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 1 tbsp sugar and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top of the dough.  Bake until the topping is firm and golden brown and the filling bubbles slowly, 45-60 minutes.


Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes before serving.


Serving tip: Accompany the cobbler with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream or a splash of heavy cream.