Blueberry-Peach Crisp

While some bakers think of a crisp as the lazy cook’s pie, I’m here to say it ain’t so. A crisp is its very own dessert and while it’s easier and faster to make than pie or even cobbler, it is no less well-received on a hot summer night topped with vanilla ice cream. Got kids? They can make it with some supervision cutting the peaches and using the oven. See notes for an all-blueberry or even an apple crisp!

Makes one 9-inch square pan

Ingredients

3 large ripe peaches, pitted and sliced thinly (no need to peel)
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
½ cup EACH: unbleached all-purpose flour and rolled or old fashioned oats
⅓ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅓ cup cold butter, cut into 1-inch pieces (5 1/3 tablespoons)*
½ cup walnut pieces, chop finely with a knife if not using a food processor
Vanilla ice cream for serving

Instructions

Preparation: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and place rack at center. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
Add fruit to pan: Layer the peaches evenly over the bottom of the greased pan and scatter the blueberries on top.
Make crispy topping: In a food processor or in a large bowl, add the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and kosher salt. Cut in the butter pulsing in the food processor or with a pastry cutter in the bowl until just crumbly.* If using a food processor, pour in the nuts and pulse a few times until finely chopped and well-blended. If using a bowl, add the finely chopped nuts and stir well.
Add the topping to the fruit and bake: Sprinkle the flour mixture evenly over the fruit. Place pan on a rimmed tray and bake for 30-40 minutes or until fruit is tender and bubbly and the topping is brown and crispy. May take longer if using frozen blueberries. Set pan on hot pads to cool 15 minutes before serving warm with ice cream if you like. (A glass Pyrex dish can shatter if you place it on the stovetop burners after baking. If you have a metal pan, there’s no problem.)

Notes

*You can also use softened butter and stir the crumble topping together or even mix it with your fingertips if that's easier.

Cook's Notes:

All blueberry crisp? Sure, skip the peaches and use 4-5 cups of blueberries. Yum!

Apple crisp? This makes a killer apple crisp, too -- or even part apple and part pear. Slice thinly and you don't even need to peel the apples. Use 4-6 apples, depending on their size.