Summer is here! In honor of all the BBQing, sprinkler-hopping, and ice cream truck-chasing to come, we give you Hello, Summer, a picnic basket full of easy-breezy recipes and tips to help you make the most of every minute this season.
Recipes, like the answers to your deepest questions, are everywhere—if you just look for them. The back of your bag of flour, or a spice jar, or the little booklet that comes with the pizza stone you just bought. You know, the one you toss aside as soon as you unwrap because you're so excited to get cracking on that pizza dough? (We've all been there!)
Ever since our longtime contributor Posie Brien taught me the treasure trove that is back-of-the-box recipes, I've been hunting them down, because not only are those recipes often reliable, but they're also pretty basic, happy to be enjoyed as is but more than willing to be a canvas for your creativity. That's how I came across this recipe for a 4-ingredient (!!) peach cobbler from Emile Henry, the more than a century–old French ceramics company known for how evenly its pans diffuse heat. All this baby needs is cake mix, lemon-lime soda, cinnamon, peaches, and less than an hour of your time.
But there was a caveat: The recipe called for a grill and white cake mix, neither of which I owned. So I asked Posie, the back-of-the-box recipe queen herself, to help me out and develop a version that uses the Emile Henry 3.5-quart baking dish we carry in the Shop. Being the creative genius that she is, Posie riffed away and made a from-scratch version, too, which includes the welcome addition of almond extract, turbinado sugar, and nutmeg. (Hers takes just a little more than an hour of your time.)
"Both recipes capture the essence of summer peaches," says Posie. "The sweetness and peach flavor intensifies through baking, and the filling gets slightly jammy and sticky at the edges where it meets the topping." If you want something cakier and more nostalgic-tasting, this 4-ingredient recipe's got your back. Posie's cobbler is more rustic in flavor, with major farmhouse vibes; in her words, "like the best parts of a bread pudding, a peach pie, and a buttery biscuit, all rolled into one."
Let your mood and/or time limit guide you to what recipe you want to follow. You won't lose, either way.
| 6 | medium-ripe peaches, peeled and sliced |
| 1 | teaspoon cinnamon |
| 1 | packet white cake mix |
| 1 | cup lemon-lime soda |
| 6 | medium-ripe peaches, peeled and sliced |
| 1 | teaspoon cinnamon |
| 1 | packet white cake mix |
| 1 | cup lemon-lime soda |
| 6 | medium-ripe peaches, peeled and sliced |
| 4 | tablespoons turbinado sugar, divided |
| 3/4 | cup granulated sugar |
| 1/2 | cup unsalted butter, softened |
| 1 | egg |
| 1 | teaspoon vanilla extract |
| 1/2 | teaspoon almond extract |
| 1 | cup all-purpose flour |
| 1 | teaspoon baking powder |
| 1/2 | teaspoon salt |
| 1/2 | teaspoon cinnamon |
| 1/4 | teaspoon nutmeg |
| 1/2 | cup whole milk |
| 1 | handful slivered almonds, for garnish (optional) |
| 6 | medium-ripe peaches, peeled and sliced |
| 4 | tablespoons turbinado sugar, divided |
| 3/4 | cup granulated sugar |
| 1/2 | cup unsalted butter, softened |
| 1 | egg |
| 1 | teaspoon vanilla extract |
| 1/2 | teaspoon almond extract |
| 1 | cup all-purpose flour |
| 1 | teaspoon baking powder |
| 1/2 | teaspoon salt |
| 1/2 | teaspoon cinnamon |
| 1/4 | teaspoon nutmeg |
| 1/2 | cup whole milk |
| 1 | handful slivered almonds, for garnish (optional) |
What's your favorite back-of-the-box recipe, original or remixed? Let us know in the comments!
Written by: Nikkitha Bakshani
Popular on Food52
7 Comments
If you don't have the book Southern Biscuits, I highly recommend it. There is a chapter with riffs on biscuits including a Lazy Girl Peach Cobbler. They are not kidding; it is so easy I have made it straight out of bed, still in PJs, before I've had my tea and it comes out perfect every time. It's a good one if you aren't quite up to adding the special little extras that are in the almond version linked above.
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