Peach cobbler with cream biscuit topping

Mix the flour, kosher salt and four teaspoons of baking powder.

Work the lemon zest into the sugar with the fingertips until it looks like wet sand and smells strongly of lemon, then toss into the dry ingredients.

Toss the frozen butter in the flour mixture to coat, then grate it in on the large holes of a box grater, working fast and keeping everything cold; add a little more flour if the butter softens.

Toss so every shred of butter is coated in flour, then make a well in the centre.

Stir in about a cup and a half of the cream with a fork.

Lift the mixture and let it fall between the fingers, breaking up any large wet clumps, to distribute the moisture gently and hold gluten development down.

Drizzle in the remaining half cup of cream and stir to a firm but hydrated dough, then fold with a flexible spatula to make sure there are no wet patches.

Portion into golf ball sized drop biscuits with a scoop or two spoons; precision is not needed.

Chill the portioned biscuits while the filling cooks; they can be portioned and covered up to about a day ahead, no longer or the baking powder loses its lift.

Put the peaches and the brown sugar in the skillet and bring to a lively simmer.

Simmer until the juices are thick and bubbling and the level of the juice sits below the fruit, about 20 to 25 minutes depending on how juicy the peaches are.

Meanwhile stir the cornstarch with the nutmeg, ground ginger, cinnamon and salt, breaking up any cornstarch lumps.

Sprinkle the spice and cornstarch mixture over the reduced filling and stir gently to combine.

Bring back to a boil for about 20 seconds to activate the cornstarch, then pull it off the heat.

Stir in the lemon juice and the vanilla.

Heat the oven to 425F.

Set the 13 by 9 glass or ceramic pan on a silpat-lined baking sheet and spread the hot filling in it.

Arrange the cold biscuit portions haphazardly over the hot filling, tucking them into each other and leaving some filling peeking through.

Dab cold cream over the biscuit tops; the cream browns them and the fat gives a crisp surface.

Sprinkle generously with demerara sugar.

Bake on the centre rack at 425F for 15 minutes, then drop to 350F and bake until the biscuits are deeply golden and the filling bubbles at the edges; 35 to 45 minutes in total.

Cool a little and serve warm or at room temperature, pouring cold heavy cream around the biscuits rather than over them so the tops stay crunchy.