I went to a friend’s house yesterday and she had a window full of ripening peaches. She’s from Georgia; so she knows her peaches, and I immediately thought it must be time! I always wait till good peaches come to the local farmer’s markets before making our favorite summertime Peach Crisp.
Peaches are probably my favorite fruit. The problem is that I love them so much that those hard little winter peaches, shipped from a million miles away just won’t do. It’s worth the wait for a “real” peach. The peaches we got this morning did not disappoint. In fact this recipe calls for six peaches so that’s how many we bought, but in a weak moment I ate one before it made it to the crisp. No one noticed, or else they were too polite to mention it – regardless, the crisp was perfection! This particular recipe is unusually yummy and delicious due to a couple of little twists that set it apart from any other crisp. The peaches are mixed with maple syrup and a hint of ginger and the crust has ground walnuts. Everyone always asks what makes this crisp so fantastic. Of course there’s also our special ice cream. Wow! Don’t you want to run to the kitchen and make Peach Crisp right now?
If you’ve traveled down interstate 65 headed to the Gulf, you’ve probably passed through Clanton, Alabama where a giant peach water tower reminds you to stop at one of the two competing stands on either side of the road for a fix of the most heavenly peach ice cream and a basket of peaches to take with you. The scent of ripe peaches in the car stays with us all the way to the first view of water, and then it’s all windows open to smell the ocean. We may fuss about the heat and humidity, but I adore summer. This Peach Crisp is just one more thing to love.
Ingredients
5 to 6 ripe peaches, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
1 tsp cinnamon
Topping
1/3 cup walnuts
¾ cup flour
½ cup brown sugar
4 Tbsp cold butter, cut in four pieces
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix peaches, syrup, ginger and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.
Spray and 8 x 8 or similar size casserole with cooking spray.
Add peach mixture.
Grind walnuts in a food processor.
Add flour and brown sugar and pulse to combine.
Add butter and process to combine.
Sprinkle topping over peaches.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
Serves 6
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream of try our favorite – mix two cups of slightly softened vanilla ice cream with about ¼ cup of Amaretto and freeze for an hour to return to a firm consistency.
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