Peach & Blackberry Crisp

I've baked more fruit-based desserts this summer than I have my entire life. Which reveals the dirty little secret that I rarely bake and when I do it is not with fruit. But something overcame me this summer - like a giant tidal wave. Perhaps I was especially burned out on the apples and bananas {not to mention those containers of 10 whole berries that cost a mere $10} that I endured all winter long. Perhaps the stone fruit and affordable berries available now are superior to prior seasons. Perhaps the personal war I have waged against sugar is deflating to a truce. All I know is that throwing peaches or berries in a bowl of yogurt each morning is no longer enough on any given day. So how to incorporate more fruit into one's diet? Fruit-based desserts, naturally. 

And this peach & blackberry crisp is a good one. The crumble gives a crisp texture and slight richness that compliments vs. overpowers the fruit filling which is just slightly enhanced with sugar. This means the crisp is not overly sweet and allows the flavor of fresh fruit to take center stage. 

I used a mixture of traditional and white flesh peaches {for no other reason than I couldn't make up my mind} and I chose a mixture of ripe and very ripe fruit. This produced a semi-runny interior which I was hoping for, and a rustic appearance which all crisp should have. 

If you've never made a crisp or crumble before {am I alone here?}, I am happy to share it is remarkably easy. Just toss some fruit in a bowl with a little bit of sugar, cinnamon, flour and lemon juice to create the base and then pulse butter, flour and a little salt in a food processor to create the crispy topping.  Spoon into a baking dish and out of the oven comes a golden crusted dessert and a glint of the warm, sweet fruit bubbling from underneath. 

I hope you are in the mood for more crisp recipes, as this one has inspired me to give all the others in my recipes files a whirl. Until then....this one is worth making right now.

Peach & Blackberry Crisp

3 lb + 1/2 lb peaches {very fresh, sweet, ripe peaches} 

1 pint blackberries {1/2 lb}

1 t cinnamon

3 T brown sugar

1 c + 1 T flour, divided

1 t lemon juice

1/2 c sugar

1/2 t salt

1/2 c {8 T} butter cut into chunks 

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel the peaches with a paring knife and then pit them and cut them into bite size pieces. Place in a bowl with the blackberries, cinnamon, brown sugar, 1 T flour and lemon juice. Gently stir and set aside.

In a food processor, briefly pulse sugar, salt and remaining 1 c flour to combine. Add the butter chunks and pulse until the mixture resembles wet, clumpy sand. 

Spoon the fruit mixture into a 2 quart baking dish. Spoon the crumbly mixture over top, spreading to distribute evenly. Bake until the top is crispy and slightly golden. About 45 - 50 minutes.

Source: The Los Angeles Times