Peachy Keen

I am keen on lovely, ripe peaches in the summertime.  Unfortunately, though, they can be a little "iffy": sometimes they're dry and mealy, sometimes they're nice and juicy.  I have found that the larger peaches tend to be consistently better than the smaller ones.  Maybe it's the variety?  In any event, look for peaches that yield to gentle pressure and that smell peachy.  The color is not necessarily a good indicator of ripeness, but I look for peaches that have creamy yellow undertones.

I bought six nice, big specimens and decided to make a peach crumble.  This is a great recipe that can also be made with apples, if you prefer.  The recipe came from my cousin, who happens to be a professional chef.

Peachy Oat Crumble

(click here to print)

Syrup:
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Crumble:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup quick oats
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
6 Tbsp. salted butter, chilled and cut into pieces


6 large, ripe peaches or apples, peeled and sliced medium thick
lemon juice to prevent browning


Combine all syrup ingredients except for vanilla in a medium saucepan and cook over medium high heat until thick, whisking frequently.  This will take 5-10 minutes.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Stir to combine and set aside to cool.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and immerse the peaches in the boiling water for about 2 minutes.  Remove to a large bowl of ice water

and then peel the skin off.

Slice and pit the peaches, sprinkle with lemon juice, and refrigerate until needed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the crumble ingredients, cutting in the butter as for pie crust.

Grease a 9x9 inch square cake pan and press about three-quarters of the crumble mixture in the bottom of the pan.

Bake for 7 minutes, then remove from the oven and top with the reserved peaches.  Pour the syrup mixture evenly over the peaches, then sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture over top.  (I initially forgot the syrup and had done half of the topping before I realized it--no problem, though!)

Bake for an additional 40-45 minutes or until golden brown, crisp, and bubbly.  Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes so that juices can thicken.

Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Peaches and (ice) cream

Enjoy!

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