Recipe: Dixie Kitchen and Bait Shop Peach Cobbler

PEACH COBBLER
Source: Dixie Kitchen and Bait Shop, in Hyde Park, Illinois
Serves 10

"President Obama has eaten in their restaurant."

FILLING:
15 cups frozen peaches (about seven 10-ounce bags), thawed and drained, saving the juice.
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar, light or dark

3 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg (freshly ground is best)
3/4 cup peach juice (the juice drained from the frozen peaches is fine)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into small pieces

CRUST:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup Crisco shortening
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 to 1/2 cup ice water

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with vegetable oil or cooking spray.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
Arrange the peaches in an even layer in the prepared baking pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk in the peach juice until smooth. Pour the mixture over the peaches. Sprinkle the butter over the top. Set aside.

TO MAKE THE CRUST:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the shortening and butter and use a pastry blender or gloved hands to work them into the dry ingredients until the mixture forms pea-sized lumps.
Slowly add the water, adding enough and mixing only until the dough holds together. Do not overmix.

Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll out to a rectangle slightly large than the baking pan and about 1/4 inch thick.

Remove the top sheet of parchment paper. The dough then can be cut into strips and woven into a crust over the cobbler.
For an easier crust, invert the crust onto the baking pan and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Trim the crust to fit just inside the edge of the pan.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the crust is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.