Homemade Peach Crisp and Fresh Blueberries

I went to the store last week with the intention to make one of my husband’s favorite desserts - Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp. But alas, it was not to be so. The strawberries were super expensive and the particular store I went to wasn’t carrying rhubarb at the time. So, glumly, I looked around for another recipe “inspiration” when I spotted a ton of delicious peaches…on sale!

Now, I am sooooo glad that happened. Because this peach crisp is one of my favorite desserts! I actually ended up modifying my recipe for the strawberry rhubarb crisp and added some suggestions from my favorite peach cobbler recipe to make this one. So far, it is my best crisp recipe to date!

Later on, I will probably try and modify this to use apples in the Fall. What makes this so yummy is the light peach flavor with a robust cinnamon sugar burst and the final addition of fresh blueberries to round it out well. I can’t wait to make this one again soon!

Enjoy!



Homemade Peach Crisp and Fresh Blueberries

Ingredients:

  • 5 large peaches, pitted and sliced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar, divided
  • 1 cup quick cooking oats
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Garnish: Fresh blueberries, whipped cream (optional), vanilla ice cream (optional)

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a 8″ square baking dish by lightly coating with butter and drizzling lightly with white sugar (1/2 tablespoon)
  2. Arrange peach slices in baking dish evenly distributed and sprinkle remaning white sugar (1 tablespoon) over peach slices and then coat with 1 tablespoon flour.
  3. In a food processor - combine oats, 3 tablespoons flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice - pulse a couple time until mixed. Then add in honey, vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup butter and pulse until the mixture begins to look like crumbles.
  4. Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the peaches evenly and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
  5. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and serve with fresh blueberries. Also, serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Cinnamon Apple Crisp

One of my favorite childhood memories was visiting the local apple orchard & cider mill in the middle of Fall. When we would arrive at the mill, the aroma of freshly pressed apples and fall leaves filled the air. On the whole drive up to the orchard we would talk in anticipation about the fresh cider from the mill, apple picking, hayrides, the corn maze and delicious apple butter. I have always been a fruit dessert kind of girl. So, when we started to talk apples and all the delicious ways in which to consume them, I was always pretty excited. So this year when I spotted some of the fresh apples of the season at the farmer’s market, I immediately knew that it was time to make another tasty apple treat. The recipe for this apple crisp fuses together one my favorite dessert combination - cinnamon & apples. I also made chai tea that night with hints of cinnamon, so it turned out to be a night filled with delightful spices. I usually use granny smith apples for this sort of dish, but we ran into a great deal for McIntosh Apples that I didn’t want to pass up. The Cinnamon Apple Crisp still turned out great! We ate it with friends out on the deck later that night. A perfect end to a delightful day of cooking, laughing, talking, dining and fun!

Cinnamon Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

  • 10 cups Mcintosh Apples, peeled, cored, and cubed (about .5″ cubes).
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup quick-cooking oats
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice (or nutmeg)
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted

Preparation:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Place the cubed apples in a 9″x13″ baking pan. Then mix together white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the apples. Then pour the water evenly over the apple mix.
  • In another bowl, mix remaining ingredients until crumbly. (oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and butter) Spread the cruble evenly over the apple mixture in the pan.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Serve hot (I recommend a side of vanilla ice cream!)

Source: modified from Diane Kester on Allrecipes.com

The Fresh Fridge Tip: To get an even coating on the apples, toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture before transferring to the baking pan.