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1
Make the pastry: Set aside a small bowl of ice water.
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2
On a work surface, mound flour, salt and sugar, and mix to blend.
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3
Top with frozen butter and lard or shortening, and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to mix until it resembles coarse meal; some large pieces of the fats should still be visible.
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4
Quickly form a mound and, with your finger, draw a trench down the center.
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5
Sprinkle trench with 1 tablespoon ice water and fluff flour so it absorbs the water.
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6
Repeat three times, drawing trenches and sprinkling each with 1 tablespoon ice water, so 4 tablespoons of water have been incorporated.
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7
The dough should be starting to clump in large pieces.
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8
If necessary, add water by droplets until dough begins to form a mass.
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9
Gather dough with a pastry scraper.
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10
Working quickly, use the heel of your hand to smear an egg-size piece of dough by pushing it away from you.
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11
Continue with remaining dough (about 6 smears total), then gather dough again and repeat the process.
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12
Shape into 2 flat disks, and cover each in a double-thickness of plastic wrap, pressing wrapped disks to further shape and bind them.
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13
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
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14
Roll out one chilled disk to 1/8-inch thickness, large enough to line and slightly overhang an 8-inch-square 2-inch-deep baking dish, or other shallow 2-quart pan.
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15
Trim to leave 1/2 inch of pastry above rim, refrigerating both pan and trimmings.
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16
Roll out remaining dough to about 1/8-inch thickness, to cover top of cobbler, again trimming and refrigerating excess dough.
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17
Slide top crust onto a plate, and refrigerate.
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18
Make the filling: Heat oven to 425 degrees.
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19
In a mixing bowl, toss together peaches, sugar, flour, salt and nutmeg.
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20
Place mixture in the crust-lined baking dish, and tuck chilled trimmings into the center and sides of the filling, scattering them throughout.
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21
Top with butter slices.
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22
Moisten rim of dough with water and slide flat pastry crust on top.
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23
Press edges of dough to seal, and cut a few 1-inch slits in top crust.
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24
If desired, sprinkle with sugar.
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25
Bake for 15 minutes.
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26
Reduce heat to 375 degrees, and continue to bake until crust is deep golden brown and filling begins to bubble through slits, 30 to 40 more minutes.
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27
Cool cobbler on a rack until warm.
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28
If desired, serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream or ice cream.
