Bourbon & Brown Sugar Peach Buckle

BY CASSANDRA HAMMERSTONE

June 2024

Georgia peaches are officially in season, and I've been eagerly anticipating their arrival. They finally appeared at my local farmers market here in northeast Florida, and I was gleeful bringing them home. I immediately whipped up this tender peach buckle with bourbon and brown sugar and popped it straight into the oven.

In the spectrum of fruit desserts that aren't pie, there’s always a difficult choice: do you make a cobbler, a crumble or a buckle, and what's the difference between them? A cobbler is a fruit filling with biscuit dough or cake batter spooned over the top, rising and spreading as the filling bubbles through. A crumble is the same filling but with a buttery streusel topping. (If the topping has oats or nuts, it’s a crisp.)

A buckle is tender cake batter poured over fresh fruit and baked until the batter rises over the fruit. It's my favorite way to enjoy peaches, as their natural juices create a moist, flavorful batter without turning soggy. The result is a beautifully balanced buckle that holds together as you scoop it out of a warm skillet.

I’m making this buckle in a 10” skillet because I prefer the way the enameled cast iron conducts heat, which makes the edges crispy and golden. Any medium baking dish will work, so use whatever you have on hand. Melt the butter and use a bit to prepare the skillet, and set the remainder of the butter aside.

Mix the sliced peaches with the brown sugar and the bourbon. As they sit, the peaches will begin to macerate and soften. There’s no need to peel the peaches. The long bake time will soften the skins.

Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. The peaches I had were early and firm, and between the brown sugar and granulated sugar, the buckle was more than sweet enough. When I’m using ripe or overripe fruit, I decrease the measure of granulated sugar by at least one tablespoon. This is always a judgement call when working with fruit, and it’s very much up to your taste.

In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, milk and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth.

A cobbler is a fruit filling with biscuit dough or cake batter spooned over the top, rising and spreading as the filling bubbles through. A crumble is the same filling but with a buttery streusel topping. (If the topping has oats or nuts, it’s a crisp.) A buckle is tender cake batter poured over fresh fruit and baked until the batter rises over the fruit.

Pour the batter into the skillet and top with the peaches, gently arranging so that the peaches are evenly distributed. Sprinkle the turbinado or sugar over the top.

To serve, scoop warm spoonfuls from the skillet into bowls and top with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

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Bourbon and Brown Sugar Peach Buckle

Season: Summer

Serves 6-8

ingredients

½ cup butter 5 medium peaches, pitted and sliced, approx. 3 cups

¼ cup light brown sugar

2 tsp bourbon

1 cup all-purpose flour (120g)

½ cup granulated sugar

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp kosher salt

¼ cup buttermilk

¾ cup whole milk

1 ½ tsp Turbinado sugar

PREPARATION

Heat the oven to 350°.

Melt the butter and brush a 10” non-stick skillet thoroughly. Set the melted butter aside.

Mix the sliced peaches with the brown sugar and bourbon. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, milk and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth.

Pour the batter into the skillet and top the batter with the peaches, gently arranging so that the peaches are evenly distributed. Sprinkle the Turbinado sugar over the top.

Bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set, the top is golden brown and the edges begin to pull away from the skillet.

Serve warm scoops of the buckle alongside vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Recipe notes: Unless otherwise indicated, all recipes are developed with Kerrygold salted butter and Diamond Kosher salt. If you prefer to use unsalted butter, adjust the seasoning to your taste. If you use table salt, decrease recommended quantities of salt by around half.