Have you noticed that the landscape of the produce aisle is starting to change? Overflowing bins of peaches, plums and nectarines are gradually being replaced with apples and pears. An indication that summer is coming to a close. Insert sad face.
To make the most out of these hallmarks of summer – a last hurrah if you will – I whipped up this Deconstructed Stone Fruit Crisp. It’s like a fruit crisp, just deconstructed. Which I suppose you gathered from the title. And it’s one of the best ways I know to highlight all the deliciousness of these sweet, juicy gems.
The fruit is really the star of this dish. It’s covered in just a scant amount of crisp topping, allowing the flavors and appearance of the fruit to really shine. It’s not overly sugary. And the fruit isn’t overcooked so much that it becomes unrecognizable. The fruit halves retain their pleasing shape and this dish has a rustic, effortless quality that I just adore.
You know what else is awesome about my Deconstructed Stone Fruit Crisp? It takes just a fraction of the time to prepare and cook that a traditional fruit crisp takes. No peeling and no chopping. And here is my big secret: I make up a batch of the crisp topping on a day when I have some extra time and store it in a re-sealable bag in my refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Then when I want to make this dish, I just grab a handful, sprinkle it on and into the oven we go. Easy peasy!
I like to use a mix of plums, peaches and nectarines if I can. And I usually serve up two halves (with a scoop of ice cream of course!) to each person.
So hurry up and make this recipe before the peaches, plums and nectarines are all gone. I don’t think you should have to wait until next year to taste this!
Cheers,
Liz
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup old-fashion oats
- 1 tablespoon pecans, roughly chopped
- 4 whole stone fruits (plums, nectarines and peaches all work great)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Vanilla ice cream for serving, if desired
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Make the crisp topping. In your food processor with the blade attachment, pulse together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter until a loose crumb forms. Add the oats and pecans and pulse 2-3 more times, everything is just combined. Set aside.
- Bake the fruit. Cut the stone fruit in half. Remove and discard the pit. Place the stone fruit cut side up in an 8 X 8 baking pan (or any other baking dish where the fruit will fit fairly snuggly, which prevents them from rolling around). Drizzle the tops with the balsamic vinegar. Top with some of the crisp topping mixture, using about 1 tablespoon for each piece of fruit. Any leftover crisp topping can be stored in your refrigerator for next time! Transfer the baking pan to your pre-heated oven and bake for 15-25 minutes, checking the fruit for doneness after 15 minutes by inserting a small pairing knife into the top of one of the pieces. The knife will go in fairly easily when the fruit is done.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for about 3-5 minutes. Then transfer the fruit pieces to serving dishes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired. Enjoy immediately.
