Spring has sprung, which means fruit-based pastries with a cold treat are sweet compliments to a delicious meal. In my opinion, the best of these come from south of the Mason-Dixon line, my favorite being peach cobbler.

Peach cobbler is a perfect treat to eat midday to late in the evening. Despite its complicated and fattening faÇade, it is actually simple to make and can be easily made low-fat and vegan with the proper substitutions.

To make peach cobbler, you will need: 1 1/2 cups of self-rising flour, 1 1/2 cups of milk, 1 half cup of water, 1 stick of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 2 32-ounce cans of sliced and peeled peaches, ground cinnamon, a medium sauce pan and a 3-quart baking dish.

To make this vegan and low fat, substitute the butter with eight tablespoons of a non-dairy spread and substitute the milk  with vanilla flavored soy milk.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In the saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cans of the peaches, 1 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and 1/2 a cup of water over medium heat.

Once the water begins to boil, reduce the heat and let simmer. Stir often to avoid burning the peaches.

As the mixture cooks, combine the rest of the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir with a whisk to minimize lumps and mix thoroughly.

Add the milk to the mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon. Place the butter in the baking pan and place the pan in the oven until the butter melts.

Once the butter is melted, remove the pan from the oven and pour the batter over the melted butter. Make sure the batter is evenly distributed and coats the entire bottom of the pan.

Add the peaches on top of the batter and place the pan back in the oven for 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and top with remaining peaches and a cinnamon sprinkle to finish.

Serve the cobbler by scooping from the pan into a bowl. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and garnish with caramel sauce. Take the bowl and a spoon, sit on your veranda or porch, relax and enjoy.

kobomanu@chroniclemail.com

Ingredients

1  1/2 cups self-rising flour

1  1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup water

1 stick butter

2 cups sugar

2 32-ounce cans sliced and peeled peaches

ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, combine 1 and 1/2 cans of sliced and peeled peaches, 1 cup of sugar a tablespoon of cinnamon and  1/2 cup of water.

3. When the peaches begin to boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Stir often to avoid burning peaches.

4. In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of sugar,  1  1/2 cups of self-rising flour and whisk out lumps.

5. Add milk to the dry mixture and stir with a wooden spoon.

6. In a medium baking pan, place 1 stick of butter and place pan in oven

until melted.

7. Once butter has melted, remove from oven and add the milk and flour mixture to the pan. Make sure to evenly distribute on the bottom of the pan.

8. Pour cooked peach mixture into the baking pan, covering the batter. Place back in oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

9. Remove from oven, garnish with remaining peaches and cinnamon to taste.

10. Serve.