PEACH CRISPS

May is the beginning of the peach season and it continues until late September.  Peaches are at their peak in July and August.
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a fruit crisp, crumble, cobbler, grunt, buckle, and brown betty? It's all in the topping or streusel.

Lee's Kitchen Tips:

A Crisp contains a topping of butter, sugar, flour, and nuts.

A Crumble is the same as a crisp but contains oats in the topping.

A Cobbler is topped with spoonfuls of sweetened dropped biscuit dough.

A Grunt is like a cobbler but cooked covered in a cast-iron skillet on top of a stove or campfire.

A Buckle is made with berries tucked into a cake batter and topped with sweet butter crumbs. The batter buckles over the fruit.

A Brown Betty is layered and also topped with sweet butter crumbs.

Filling

6 large ripe peaches, peeled, halved, pitted and cut into wedges

⅓ cup granulated sugar

2 t cornstarch

Zest & juice of ½ lemon

½ t ground cinnamon

¼ t ground nutmeg

Pinch of sea salt

Crisp Topping

¾ cup all-purpose flour

3 T granulated sugar

3 T brown sugar

Pinch of sea salt

1 t pure vanilla extract

6 T unsalted butter, cut into small cubes 

½ cup sliced almonds (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium size bowl, toss the peaches together with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Set aside while making the crisp topping.

In a food processor, add the flour, sugars, and salt. Pulse to combine, about 5 to 6 times.

Add the vanilla, butter, and half of the almonds and pulse another 5 to 6 times.

Transfer the crumble mixture to a heavy baking pan and mix in the remaining almonds.

Spread mixture into an even layer and bake until crispy, about 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and stir halfway through the baking time.

Making the layer even prevents any thin areas from burning.

While crisp is baking, spoon peaches into 4 ramekins or in an 8x8-inch baking dish.

After crisp has baked, using a spoon, divide evenly over top.

Place ramekins or baking dish onto the same baking dish and bake in oven until peaches are bubbling and top is well browned, 30 to 35 minutes.

Rotate baking sheet halfway through baking.

Remove from oven and let cool about 10 minutes.

Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and serve.

Serves 4 to 6