Mamaw's Peach Cobbler: a Legacy and a Recipe

This is Mamaw's Peach Cobbler recipe from Northeast Tennessee. I will give it to you just like she gave it to me!

Who is Mamaw?

Mamaw is my mother-in-law, Lauretta Garrett. I never once called her Lauretta; she was Mrs. Garrett to me until my children came along, and then she became "Mamaw." I called her that whether my kids were around or not.

Mamaw spent most of her life in a holler near Blountville, Tennessee. She never had a career, and she never had a driver's license. She would proudly declare that she had raised four boys and never had to get one out of jail. When you think about that, it is quite an accomplishment!

Legacy of love

Mamaw loved her family, and you could taste it in everything she cooked. And, did she ever cook! I will always remember the way it smelled when you opened the old screen door on Thanksgiving morning, and I will miss her. She taught me much about cooking when I was a young bride.

I suppose she wondered if her son would either starve or die of food poisoning. I actually fed him Potato Hamburger Helper fixed in the crock pot. I just put the raw hamburger and the ingredients in and turned it on. I will never forget my dear husband sitting there trying to eat those crunchy potatoes!

Peach Cobbler to be proud of

She taught me how to make peach cobbler during the first month of our marriage. It turned out so well that it gave me a boost of confidence that I needed as a very awkward cook. Like most cooks in Northeast Tennessee, she did not give exact measurements for anything. This was a little hard for me with no cooking experience, but the peach cobbler worked out fine. I kind of worked out my own measurements over the years.

Ingredients:

2 regular size cans of sliced peaches, drained. (Reserve 2 tablespoons liquid.)

2 cups of flour

Dash of vanilla flavoring

1/4 cup oil

1 cup sugar

1/2 stick of butter

1 1/2 to 2 cups milk

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 375.

2. Grease a baking dish.

3. Layer the peaches in the bottom of the dish, sprinkle the reserved liquid over them.

4. Mix the remaining ingredients except butter in a bowl. Add enough milk so that it resembles a very thin pancake batter.

5. Pour over the peaches. Stir so that it goes between the peaches.

6. Sprinkle a little more sugar and dot with the butter.

7. Bake for around 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350.

8. Allow to continue baking until a nice golden color.

Serve hot with ice cream or milk on top of it.