Peach Crisp

I am not a huge fan of most cobblers.  The soggy topping gets muddled with the fruit and everything seems to lose its way, particularly by day two (if there are any leftovers).  But, I do love a seasonal crisp or crumble, especially if the topping stays crispy perched atop the in season fruit.  And, if the crisp or crumble topping is prepared in at least a 1:1, but preferably a 2:1, ratio with the fruit, then I like it even more.  

Truth be told, I eat pie simply for the crust and I eat crisps and crumbles for the topping.  What lies beneath matters, but not nearly as much as the buttery crust or the crunchy topping.  This is a simple, delicious crisp that can adorn any stone fruit, so use it now for peaches and save it for autumn after you go apple picking.  Serve it with scoops of your favorite vanilla ice cream, or homemade whipped cream (my preference).  Believe it or not, it even tastes good for breakfast with plain yogurt...I just didn't tell my children about this trick!

Peach Crisp

Ingredients:

8 medium to large peaches, cut into small chunks 

2/3 cup sugar 

2 tablespoons plus 1 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups old-fashioned oats

2/3 cup brown sugar 

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 

Preparation:

Toss peaches, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of flour in a large bowl to combine. Let sit, tossing occasionally, for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, whisk oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and remaining 1 cup flour in a large mixing bowl to combine. Using an electric mixer on low speed, gradually add butter. Once it has all been added, increase speed to medium-high and beat until dry ingredients are incorporated (there should be no dry bits left in the bowl), about 3 minutes.

Scrape peaches and any juices into a 8x8 baking dish. Evenly scatter oat topping over peaches and bake crisp on center rack in oven until peaches are soft, fruit juices are bubbling, and topping is a deep golden brown, about 1 hour.  Transfer baking dish to a wire rack and let crisp cool 1 hour.

Recipe Adapted from Bon Appetit who adapted it from B's Cracklin' BBQ in Savannah

PS Making a fruit crisp was on my summer to-do list!