For this stone fruit crisp, combine any summer stone fruit you like — peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots — with a buttery brown sugar oat topping, bake it until browned and bubbling, then sit back and take bets on how long it will last.
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Ok, I have a confession to make: I honestly wasn’t planning on sharing this with you. At least, not this year. Why? Because I’m well aware that we’re in the middle of September, the tail end of summer stone fruit season, and all anyone wants to talk about now is apples and pumpkin and such. Not many people are sharing summery recipes anymore.
But here’s the thing: I still have a lot of summer fruit sitting around. Particularly after last weekend, when we went to an orchard in Michigan with my parents and came home with armfuls of peaches and nectarines. To make matters more complicated, I already had a few plums sitting around (not to mention the figs and grapes and apples also hanging out in my fridge currently). I can’t help myself.
They all ripened at exactly the same time, of course, and this past Sunday night I found myself slightly panicking about how we would eat them all in time. So after some pondering about peach cobbler or perhaps a pie, my natural tendency towards the easiest solution won: I threw peaches, nectarines, and plums, sliced and unpeeled, into a casserole dish with a bit of sugar and cinnamon. I cobbled together a brown sugar oat topping. I took a few photos…just in case…maybe for next year…
But then the smell in our apartment was absolutely mesmerizing. And then the thing came out all bubbly and golden. And then…then I tried it.
OMG. OMG. OMG.
I think Brian actually ran over because he was concerned by the shriek I let out when I tried it. Honestly, it tastes like summer candy. The natural flavors of the fruit truly shine through, but it’s encased in a glurping syrupy sauce formed by the juices themselves in the oven.
The crispy oat topping is the perfect foil to the sweetness, and when you put some vanilla ice cream on top? There is no contest, this stone fruit crisp may be the best summer dessert ever.
I hope you round up all those peaches and plums and nectarines and apricots and pluots and whatever other lingering summer fruits you have sitting around, and make this stone fruit crisp immediately. You deserve it!
By the way, I’m only slightly embarrassed to say that I made this on Sunday, today is Tuesday, and there is approximately one tiny little corner of this left. Oops.
For this stone fruit crisp, combine any summer stone fruit you like — peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots — with a buttery brown sugar oat topping, bake it until browned and bubbling, then sit back and take bets on how long it will last.
- 3 pounds ripe peaches, nectarines, plums or apricots (or a combination of all)*
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice (or up to half a lemon’s worth of juice if you like a more tart flavor)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup rolled (old-fashioned) oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup pecans, sliced almonds, or walnuts (optional)
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Halve, pit, and slice the fruit into 1/2-inch wedges . You don’t need to bother peeling them unless you want to. Place the sliced fruit in a 9×13 or 3 qt baking dish.
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Sprinkle brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice over the sliced fruit. Gently toss it all together until evenly combined.
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In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Whisk in brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the flour, oats, and nuts (if using). I found that it was easiest to mix together with my hands at this point so that everything was evenly distributed.
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Scatter the oat topping evenly over the fruit. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and you can see the fruit filling bubbling up the sides.
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Let cool for a few minutes before serving warm with vanilla ice cream, or, if you want to be more virtuous, yogurt. See how long it lasts.
*This was about 10 smallish peaches, plums, and nectarines for me, but the weight is the more accurate measure.
Store any leftovers in the fridge for a few days, and reheat individual servings in the microwave.
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