Peach Crisp

By Kath Dedon

a

August is peach season, so it’s the perfect time of year for the Peach Crisp! I used Mark Bittman’s recipe from How to Cook Everything the Basics, although I did make some changes.

Mark uses cold butter which he cuts into ¼-inch bits and puts in the freezer for a few minutes. My butter was softened at room temperature. That’s what I used, and it worked fine. Either way, the butter goes with the other topping ingredients for a quick whirl in the food processor.

I also cut back on the sugar. Mark calls for 2/3 cup packed brown sugar. I used ½ cup of maple sugar and it seemed just right.

Lastly, I substituted an all-purpose gluten-free flour for the all-purpose flour and it worked just fine.

Sorry, but I didn’t take photos to illustrate the process. Frankly, I wasn’t sure this would be a “blog-worthy” recipe. However, I was really pleased with the way it turned out! I loved the topping and would use it with other fruits as well. Mr. Bittman suggests apples, pears, plums, cherries, or berries. If you use berries, toss them with 2 tablespoons of flour or cornstarch to help thicken their juices.

Served with a bit of ice cream, this Peach Crisp is a perfect summertime dessert!

a

a

Peach Crisp

(Adapted from Mark Bittman’s recipe in How to Cook Everything the Basics)

a

(print the recipe)

a

Serves 6 – 8

 a

5 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing the pan (I used softened butter. If yours is cold, cut it into ¼-inch bits.)

6 cups pitted, sliced peaches (2 – 3 pounds)

Juice of ½ lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

½ cup packed brown sugar (or maple sugar)

½ cup rolled oats (not instant oats)

½ cup all-purpose flour (or gluten free flour)

¼ cup chopped nuts, optional (I didn’t use them.)

Pinch salt

 a

Vanilla ice cream for serving

 a

1. Heat the oven to 400˚. Lightly butter a square baking pan or a pie plate.

2. Toss the peach slices with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the sugar and put them in the baking pan.

3. Put the rest of the sugar, butter, rolled oats, flour, nuts if using, and salt in a food processor. Pulse a few times until everything is mixed but still has some texture. (Mr. Bittman suggests you can mix it by hand by mashing it together between your fingers. This would probably work better with cold butter than with softened butter.)

4. Sprinkle the topping over the peaches. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes. (Mine was done in 30 minutes.)

5. Serve warm or at room temperature.

a

a

a