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Mama Dip's Cobbler Crust

(recipe, John Shelton Reed, Dale Volberg Reed, William McKinney)

Introduction

Here's Mildred Council's directions for the peach cobbler she serves at her Chapel Hill restaurant.

Ingredients

  1. 3 cups flour
  2. ½ tsp. salt
  3. 2 Tbsp. sugar
  4. 1 cup shortening
  5. ¼ cup cold water
  6. Melted butter (optional)
  7. Sugar (optional)

Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Add the shortening and mix everything together well, using a fork or your fingertips, until crumbly. Add the water and mix to form a moist ball of dough.
  2. On a floured board, roll out half of the dough to make a crust that fits the bottom of the baking dish, prick it with a fork a few times, and bake for 10 minutes. It should look done but not brown. Cool for 10 to 12 minutes, then put the fruit mixture on top.
  3. Roll out the rest of the dough, place it on top of the fruit, and prick it with a fork a few times. Or roll it out, cut it into strips, and make a lattice crust over the fruit. If you like, brush the top crust with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake as specified in the recipe, until the crust is well browned.