Gluten-free Nectarine Cobbler

I'm certainly not going gluten free but sometimes it's nice to share dessert with friends who are. Also the challenge of making it work without flour is fun. I really liked how the coconut flour performed. I'll have to try some of it in the crazy cake variations.

GF Cobbler Topping
8" square baking dish, 400 degree oven
(liberally adapted from Bob's Red Mill Vanilla Almond Sugar Cookies)
1/2 c brown rice flour
1/2 c coconut flour
2 T tapioca starch
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda (scant)
1/2 t salt
1/3 c sugar (1/4 c would be plenty)
Cut in 6 T butter until pea-size and smaller lumps
Beat 1 egg in a measuring cup and add milk to make 1/2 c liquid
Fold liquid with dry until just blended
Let sit in refrigerator at least 30 minutes and up to a couple hours (the hydration trick from America's Test Kitchen)

Fruit
Meanwhile, chop up 4 large nectarines (or peaches but you should peel them) and toss fruit with 1/4 c sugar and 1 T fresh lemon juice. Save the rest of the juice from the lemon to add later. Let sit 15 minutes then let drip in a strainer over a bowl for a while. You'll collect 1/2 c or more of juice (save it). Peel and shred an apple and mix into nectarines (the pectin in the apple helps it set up too, another ATK trick). Mix fruit with 2 T tapioca starch. Add the rest of the juice from the lemon. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pour fruit into 8" square baking dish. Put fruit in oven to warm up. Reduce the reserved juice to syrup and pour it into the fruit. You do this to keep it from being watery. Stir gently once or twice while it is heating. It will take at least 15 minutes, probably 30 to get the fruit hot through and starting to bubble around the edges.

Nut crust
While the fruit is heating mix:
1/2 c chopped almonds (however you like but I thought fairly fine worked best)
1 t cornstarch (or more or less?)
1 to 2 t cinnamon, to taste
dash salt
2 to 3 T powdered sugar
Pour on some liquid to moisten but not make too soupy. I used about 3 T cream because I had it. Milk would be fine too.
Stir to blend and set aside.

Assemble
Remove hot fruit from oven and stir gently.
Distribute topping over the surface in scattered lumps. Spread and flatten slightly but don't push down into the fruit too much.
Spoon the nut crust in small bits over the topping.
Put rack in middle of oven and bake at 400 degrees until bubbling through and browning nicely on top, 30 - 60 minutes. No I'm not sure how long it cooked for, I clearly need to test the recipe again!

Let cool slightly before taking it downstairs to share with Liz and Patrick.

Verdict: really good! The nuts add texture to the otherwise soft top. The rest period helps the gritty rice flour in the topping absorb water and smooth out. You don't need xanthan gum for this one. Will make again but try to reduce the sugar further. The topping makes a good GF sugar cookie too.