One of summer’s pleasures is a juicy, ripe peach. They’re amazing on their own, of course, but I also love to use them in a summer classic–a crumble. I usually go a little overboard on buying them when they first come into season, so I use the slightly soft ones to make a crumble. And since I can admittedly be a little bit selfish with my sweets, I like making desserts in individual serving sizes. That way everyone can enjoy their crumble all to themselves.
These are also great to make ahead for a dinner party. All you need to do is reheat them before serving and top with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt. Just perfection! [From Everyday Snack Tray, by Frances Largeman-Roth]
INDIVIDUAL PEACH CRUMBLES
Makes 6 crumbles (Use 6 oven-safe ramekins.)
FOR FILLING:
5 ripe but firm peaches, sliced (I like a mix of white and regular.)
1⁄2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 teaspoons lemon zest
1⁄4 cup sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR TOPPING:
1⁄4 cup roasted pecans or almonds, finely chopped
1⁄2 cup brown sugar, packed
3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 Preheat oven to 375°F.
2 In a medium bowl, toss the peaches with the lemon juice, zest, sugar, 1⁄2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and vanilla.
3 Place 3⁄4 cup of the peach mixture into each of the ramekins and set aside.
4 In a separate medium bowl, combine the nuts, brown sugar, flour, salt, 1⁄2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and butter. Mix with clean hands.
5 Top the ramekins with 1⁄4 cup of the crumb topping and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbling. Serve crumbles hot, or let cool then refrigerate for up to one day before serving.