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A peach berry sonker in a square baking dish with one serving missing.
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5 / 4 votes

Peach Berry Sonker

Like a cross between pie and a juicy deep dish cobbler, this peach berry sonker, topped with tender pastry and drizzled with milk dip, is one of the best old-fashioned desserts we've ever tried.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time2 hours 15 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 to 12 servings
Calories: 576

Ingredients

For the dough

  • 16 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces, plus more for the baking dish (2 sticks)
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup whole milk

For the filling

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 pounds peaches, pitted and sliced 3/4-inch (18-mm) thick (4 to 5 cups)
  • 3 cups blackberries, (about 12 ounces)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed (2 1/2 ounces)
  • 1 large egg white plus 2 teaspoons water, lightly beaten with a fork
  • 2 tablespoons sparkling sugar, demerara sugar, or turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

For the milk dip

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the dough

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter the sides of an 11-by-11-inch (27-by-27-cm) or 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking dish.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and the cubed 16 tablespoons cold unsalted butter. With a pastry cutter, knives, or your fingers, cut and smoosh the butter into the dry ingredients until it is roughly mixed.
  • Add the 1 cup whole milk and mix until the dough is tacky.
  • Place half the dough on a well-floured board. Pat the dough out a bit, roll it out to about 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick, and cut into long 2 1/2-inch (6 cm) wide strips.
  • Lift a strip and tuck it around the sides of the pan. Repeat with the other strips until the pan is encircled with the wide strips. It’s okay if you have to piece them together. The bottom of the pan will be doughless.

Make the filling

  • Dump the 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar in the baking dish and mix with a fork to combine.

    ☞ TESTER TIP: If your fruit is ripe and sweet, you'll probably want to reduce the amount of sugar to 3/4 cup.

  • Combine the 2 pounds peaches, 3 cups blackberries, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract in a medium bowl, and gently mix together. Turn the filling onto the flour and sugar in the baking dish.
  • Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar over the top of the fruit.
  • Scatter the 5 tablespoons unsalted butter cubes over the top of the fruit evenly.
  • Roll out the remaining dough to 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick and cut into long 2 1/2-inch (6 cm) wide strips. Lay the strips over the top of the filling to form a rough lattice. An offset spatula is a great help in getting the rolled out strips onto the top of the filling.
  • In a small bowl, mix the 1 large egg white plus 2 teaspoons water with a fork, and brush the tops of the lattice strips. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sparkling sugar.

    ☞ TESTER TIP: If your baking dish seems precariously full, place it on a foil-lined baking sheet in case the filling overflows during baking.

  • Bake the sonker for 30 minutes. While the sonker is baking, make the milk dip.

Make the milk dip

  • Whisk together the 2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the 1 1/2 cups whole milk.
  • Bump the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook for 2 minutes more while whisking.
  • Remove from the heat, stir in the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and let cool.
  • Remove the sonker from the oven, immediately close the door, and place the sonker on a work surface. Pour 1/2 cup of the hot milk dip over the top.
  • Slide the sonker back in the oven and bake until the filling is bubbling around the edges and up through the crust, about 30 minutes more. The crust should be a beautiful golden brown when finished. If it seems to be browning too quickly, loosely place a piece of foil over the sonker and continue to bake.
  • Let cool for 30 minutes.
  • Serve the sonker warm or at room temp, keeping in mind it’s best the day it’s made. Pass any remaining milk dip at the table. Any leftover dip can be refrigerated.

Notes

Any Fruit Sonker

The filling is very adaptable, and you can use whatever is available. Try peaches, berries, or cherries mixed together, or a single fruit filling. Kate McDermott, the author of this recipe who is also known as The Pie Lady, once used a combination of green gooseberries, white currants, red currants, peaches, and a few tart cherries. Use 7 to 8 cups (about 2 quarts, 1.8 L) fruit.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 576kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 260mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 50g