Peach Cobbler a la italiana

Ok ok so peach cobbler isn't Italian. It should be. It has all the required characteristics of an Italian dessert. Not too sweet. Fresh fruit. A lemon. Oh and gelato. I made some last night. And now all my sisters in law are making it. 

This cobbler was really easy and I eyeballed most of the ingredients. So here's the eyeball method. 

Preheat oven to 425F or 200C. 

Take a round 9" cake pan and fill it with chunked up fresh peaches. Here, if you want fruit, it had better be in season. Besides bananas and pineapples, the only fruit around is in season and local. Right now it's cherries, fist sized figs, and peaches. The flat ones. I had never used them since in the states they're unripened and smell nasty where I live. Here they're perfect. Of course, because they're in season. 

I filled the pan with about 8 large flat peaches. I just cut them in wedges about 1/2" or less thick. 

Add 1/3 cup sugar

A heaping teaspoon cornstarch

The zest of one large lemon and its juice 

1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract. Or none if you don't have any. No big deal. 

By the way, I have a new zest theory. We waste so much wonderful lemon zest using that little zesting tool. I use a sharp knife and just cut off the yellow. Make sure what comes off is yellow on both sides. Then cut in tiny zester looking strips. You get a TON of lemon zest, and because its cooked in sugar, it's a pleasure to find a piece now and then. Just my two euros worth of opinion. 

Ok so put this pan in the oven for 12 minutes. Or 15. Doesn't matter. Meanwhile make your dough. So easy. 

Mix a cup flour

Half a cup sugar

A heaping tsp baking powder

Two BIG pinches salt. Blend a little with your fingers. 

Add a stick of cold butter that you've cut in little pieces. Smoosh now into the flour over and over bit by bit until its all flaky. 

Now this is the weird part. Heat some water till really hot. Drizzle it into the flour, about a tbsp at a time, and fluff with a fork. Keep adding just until the dough comes together. Stir a tad to

Wet everything, and then dollop on top of the hot peaches. It'll probably cover it but don't worry if it doesn't. 

Pop back in the oven about 30 minutes or until brown and bubbly. Done!  This needs to be warm or hot even when served. And must be with ice cream. Over here vanilla is rare so we use fior di latte (the flower of the milk I.e. cream), or panna (cream). Any which way it works. Last night the little ones were asking for seconds. Should've know better than to make one pan for 11 people...