Too hot to bake? Make dessert on the grill

Use your outdoor grill to bake a peach cobbler. (Photo: Debbie Arrington)

Grilled peach cobbler won't heat up the kitchen

By Debbie Arrington

Midsummer peaches, in all their sweet juicy glory, are perfect for pie or cobbler. But what if it's 109 degrees outside? It's way too hot to turn on the oven.

That's where the outdoor grill comes in handy. It can do double duty as an oven substitute. 

The key is having a pan that can take high heat. An 8-inch cast-iron skillet is ideal.

Besides peaches, this recipe works well with other cobbler favorites such as apples, blackberries or nectarines. Peaches and blueberries make a delicious combination.

Grilled peach cobbler

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 cups peaches, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

For dough:

1 cup flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 tablespoons chilled butter

1/2 cup milk

Instructions

In a bowl, toss peach slices with 1/2 cup sugar,  1 tablespoon flour and cinnamon.

In an 8-inch cast-iron skillet, melt butter. (This can be done on the stove top or grill.) Add peaches and cook over medium heat until juices become bubbly. Remove from heat.

In another bowl, combine remaining flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. With a pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until it resembles coarse meal. Add milk and stir to form a dough, like drop biscuits. Spoon dough by heaping tablespoons over the peaches.

Meanwhile, warm the grill to about 400 degrees F. If using three burners, turn off the center burner.

Place a sheet of aluminum foil over the grill under where the pan will sit, in the center of the grill over the off burner. Place pan on foil and close grill.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown. (You may need to adjust heat on grill to keep temperature about 350-375 degrees.) Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.