Page 385 - Cupcakes

½ cup plus

1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Unfold the pie crusts onto a lightly floured surface. Cut four 4½-inch circles
out of each crust, using a plastic lid or piece of cardboard as a stencil and a sharp
paring knife. You will have 8 rounds and plenty of dough scraps. Cut the scraps
into strips or small uneven shapes.

3. Place 1 pastry round in the center of a cupcake cup, and gently press the round
down to fit the pan. It is fine for the dough to stick up around the edges. Repeat
the process with the remaining rounds, and set the pan aside.

4. Chop the peaches coarsely and place them in a mediumsize saucepan with ½
cup of water, if they are frozen, or on their own, if they are fresh (see “the
Cupcake Doctor says”). Place the pan over medium heat and stir the peaches
until they come to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and stir often while they
simmer until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain the peaches.

5. Combine the ½ cup sugar and the flour and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Remove the peaches from the heat, and stir in the sugar mixture until it is well
combined. Spoon ¼ cup of the peach mixture into each pastry-lined cup. Place 3
or 4 strips of dough over the top of each fruit-filled cup. Use your fingers to
press the edges of the dough inward toward the fruit. Distribute the cold bits of
butter evenly on top of the pastry strips, and sprinkle them with the remaining 1
tablespoon sugar. Place the pan in the oven.

6. Bake the cobblers until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly, 16 to 18
minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 5
minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cobblers, lift them up from
the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups