Desserts

Blueberry-Peach Crisp

The beginnings of summer fruit and berries are rolling into my area and I, for one, am eager to dig in to all that’s offered. When it comes to baking fruit desserts, I like to keep the flavors and preparations nice and simple. This way, I let the fruit be the star of the show and the rest of the fixings are just the back up singers.

Fruit crisps are so easy to put together – perfect for a week night – and the flavors are heavenly – perfect for a weekend BBQ. The two key components: the crisp topping and the fruit filling.

Let’s start with a few words about the crisp topping. I make mine with flour, brown sugar (either dark or light), butter and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon but you are welcome to add in a few tablespoons of chopped nuts just before sprinkling over the fruit. I use the food processor to whiz the ingredients together – fast and efficient – though, if you prefer, you can use a pastry blended or your fingertips to blend the butter into the dry ingredients. Either way, stow the topping in the fridge while you make the filling.

The filling is super straight-forward. You can use any combo of ripe fruit – I’ve used blueberries and peaches because they were ripe and fragrant – about 1 1/4 pounds will work well. I don’t like my fillings to be too thick so I’ve added just a smidge of cornstarch (2 teaspoons but add an extra one for a slightly thicker consistency) along with a bit of sugar and lemon juice.

One last note about the topping which is clearly everyone’s fave part. I tend to like more topping than not so in order to avoid a sogged-out layer by the fruit, I sprinkle half over the fruit then bake about 15 minutes before sprinkling over the remainder and continue baking.

And. here’s the recipe. Leftovers make for a nice breakfast, too.

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Blueberry-Peach Crisp

[edited to say: Some folks have said they’d like more cinnamon and brown sugar in the topping. Permission granted. You can add up to 1/2 teaspoon additional cinnamon and up to 3 tablespoons additional brown sugar.]

Serves 3

I call for peaches and blueberries in this recipe but, really, any combination of fruit will be delicious. You’ll need a total of about 1 1/4 pounds of fruit – cut larger fruit (like peaches) into 1-inch chunks.

Ingredients

For the Topping:

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 5 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch table salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

For the Fruit:

  • 1 pint blueberries, rinsed and dried
  • 1 ripe, medium peach, rinsed and dried
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons granulated sugar (depending on the sweetness of the fruit)
  • 2 – 3 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

For Serving (optional):

Vanilla ice cream, hard sauce or sweetened whipped cream

Preparation

To make the crisp

  1. Line a small jelly roll pan with foil and set on the rack in the center of the oven. Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a shallow, 3-cup baking dish (glass or ceramic).
  2. Put the blueberries in a medium bowl. Cut the peach into 1-inch pieces and discard the pit. Taste the fruit and add the sugar as needed. Sprinkle the cornstarch, salt and lemon juice over the fruit. Gently toss until the fruit is evenly coated.
  3. Scrape the fruit into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle half of the topping evenly over the fruit. Arrange the baking dish on the jelly roll pan in the oven and bake 15 minutes. Sprinkle over the remaining topping and continue baking until the fruit is tender when pierced with a knife, the topping is crisp, and the juices are bubbling, about 20 to 25 minutes longer. Let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm with or without ice cream, hard sauce (my fave) or sweetened whipped cream.

To make the topping

2. Combine the flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor. Process until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is blended. It should hold together when you pinch it. Refrigerate the topping until you’re ready to use it.

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