Chef notes
A fruit crisp is one of those desserts that everyone should know how to make. It’s exceptionally easy to put together and it’s always a crowd pleaser. With endless ways to prepare it, it’s easy to make this dish your own based on your flavor preferences. While peach crisp may seem like a warmer weather dessert, this recipe calls for using frozen peaches, which means you can have a taste of summer all year long. This recipe riffs off classic crisp by incorporating a blend of spices such as allspice, cardamom, cinnamon and ginger in both the filling and crumble to offer a subtle warmth in every bite.
The main components that make up a cobbler topping are flour, oats and butter. Here, chopped pistachios are added to give the topping some extra crunch. To get those classic spiced flavors, add ground cloves, ginger and nutmeg, which perfume the topping. For the filling, make sure the peaches are thawed and drained before using. If you add them frozen, you run the risk of the dessert having too much moisture and becoming wet. The spices for the filling are different than the topping, which adds a great flavor contrast — there’s cinnamon, allspice, cardamom and even black pepper. Mix the peaches with butter, sugar, and spices, then top with the oat mixture before baking. A fruit crisp like this one begs to be served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Get Ingredients: If you don’t have everything you need on hand, you can easily purchase all of the ingredients (just click the orange button below that says ‘Get Ingredients’). You can pick and choose exactly what ingredients you need based on what’s in your pantry and they’ll be on your doorstep before you know it.
Technique Tip: Fruit crisp will last up to three days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can freeze it for up to three months, although the topping may lose its crunchiness.
Swap Option: Any fruit will work in this crisp recipe — just make sure to keep the amounts to 9 cups. If using frozen fruit, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup crushed raw, unsalted pistachios
- 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoons ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, cut into even pieces
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 3 pounds (about 9 cups) frozen peaches, thawed in the refrigerator overnight
- 1½ cups light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
- whipped cream, for serving (optional)
Preparation
For the Pistachio-Oat Crumble:
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, rolled oats, pistachios, ground ginger, cloves, nutmeg and granulated sugar.
Using a dough cutter, mix the pieces of butter into the flour. This can be done by using a rocking motion with the dough cutter or your fingertips to break up the butter into smaller pieces. The butter should resemble a coarse meal. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
For the Peach Filling:
1.Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375 F.
2.Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add in butter. Once melted, add in thawed peaches, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
3.Add the cooked peaches into a large casserole dish and evenly top with the pistachio-oat crumble. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden-brown and the sauce bubbles around the edges.
4.Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.
