MRS. FREEMAN'S PEACH COBBLER

In the mid-70's, my dear friend, Robin Heil (now from Colorado) and I shared a house in Earleton, Florida with her then-boyfriend, Michael. Robin's cooking is, in my opinion, divinely endowed and she makes cooking look easy.

In those days, Michael and other acolytes of Robin's cooking eagerly stood in line for her fried chicken and other fixings including a dynamite creamed corn recipe. Decades later I was able to coax her east for an encore cooking demonstration so I could study her every move at the stove.

During her visit a year or two ago, I inquired how she developed into such a fine Southern cook considering she was born raised in south Florida. When she first came to Gainesville, she dated a local boy (we all were younger then), John Freeman, whose mother imparted to Robin many secrets of Southern cooking.

In addition to fried chicken, Mrs. Freeman taught her to make a peach cobbler that I can attest is first-rate. Robin wrote recently that it always comes out of the oven in a state of fail-safe perfection. Robin makes this cobbler recipe once a week when the Colorado peaches are in-season. It is no wonder her children have turned out well and her husband has a perpetual smile on his face. It may be that peach cobbler is the answer.

Here is Robin's recipe (thanks to Mrs. Freeman):

PEACH COBBLER

Ingredients:
3 teaspoons, baking powder
1 cup, milk
1 cup, flour
1 cup, sugar
1 stick butter
6-8 peaches, peeled and sliced

Melt butter in pan (13 x 9 x 2) while oven is pre-heating to 350 degrees. Combine the milk, baking powder, flour, and sugar and pour on top of the butter. Watch the pan carefully to avoid scalding anything. Cover all with sliced peaches. Put in oven and cook for 35-45 minutes until golden.