National Peach (Crisp) Pie Day

Ever since I was 10 and had a birthday cake that was 75% frosting, I have not been a "cake person". I am a pie person through and through.

Even at our wedding we didn't have a cake and instead opted to have just a general dessert bar, lovingly stocked by creative and talented friends and family. I have always preferred pies and custard desserts to cakes, with peach pie as my standout favorite. Peach anything, honestly, but peach pie for the win.

When I'm in the mood for peach pie but can't be bothered with making a double crusted creation, I opt for a peach crisp. I love that cripsy, crunchy, rich topping juxtaposed against the soft, juicy fruit. Crisps are everything, amirite?

So, in honor of national peach pie day, here's a simply recipe you can throw together to celebrate!

In my mind baking is equal parts deeply scientific (you need to be mindful of processes and ratios), while also being intuitive. Sometimes you need to add steps, take out a step, change times, etc. I like to make recipes (especially for cooking) intuitive, so change things as you wish! Also, this is my first time writing a recipe in 8-9 years so please let me know how things can be changed around of changed for clarity!



Super Simple Peach Crisp

Filling:
5-6 peaches
cornstarch (optional)
maple syrup (optional)

Topping:
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. oats
1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp ginger (or cinnamon, cloves, allspice, your call!)
1 stick (1/2 c.) cold butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish.

Chop your peaches and place in the bottom of your dish. If they are excessively juicy you can sprinkle a small amount of cornstarch and mix them up to soak up some of the juices during cooking. If your peaches are underripe, you may want to add a little maple syrup for added sweetness.

In a medium bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. Cube your butter into small pieces and add it to the dry ingredients. Using a fork, pastry blender, or your hands, work the butter into the mixture until it resembles sand. Sprinkle it over the top of your peaches.

Bake in the center of the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and crispy. Slather with freshly whipped heavy cream or some vanilla ice cream. Or just eat it straight out of the pan with a spoon, again, it's your call!