A new new beginning

Hello, my name is Rosie and I have a commitment problem to this blog. After much reflection and procrastination, I’m renewing my vows to this blog. I promise to update it weeklyish with recipes from “Baking Illustrated,” in sickness and in health, until figurative death do us apart.

Really, I need something more productive to do when I come home after work than lay on the futon and watch “Catfish” reruns. I also want to teach myself baking skills so one day I can quit my day job and just bake for fun and get paid somehow. One can dream, right?

To celebrate, I decided to make a peach crisp from “Baking Illustrated.” For Alton Brown fans, “Baking Illustrated” is a necessity for your cookbook collection. The cookbook is published by “America’s Test Kitchen,” which is a TV show that tests and troubleshoots recipes to perfection. This cookbook includes tutorials too, along with tips and tricks to make the perfect lattice crust, a crispy and chewy baguette, how to fold calzones, etc etc. Perfect for self-teaching.

I chose the peach crisp recipe because it reminds me of peach cobbler, which reminds me of two important things:

1.) Peach cobbler from the dorms at U of I.

Hands down, peach cobbler with vanilla soft serve was the best thing that ever came out of the U of I dorms. It’s been four years since dorm living and I still wax nostalgic about our family dorm dinners. After working out together and showering (separately), our group of friends would all sit down together to eat and gossip. Alas, it’s fall again and I have to remind myself that I am not going back to school.

2.) Justin Timberlake.

Random fact: His favorite food is his grandma’s peach cobbler. Maybe I’ll get him to change his mind?

The making of the recipe:

Flour, brown sugar, chopped almonds, butter, white sugar+spices

The aftermath.

Mhmm peaches!

Chopped and tossed with lemon juice

Come together, right now.

Everything is better with whipped cream.

Ingredients:

Topping:

 

6 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

5 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

3/4 cup coarsely chopped nuts (I used walnuts, you can use pecans or walnuts)

 

Filling:

 

6 peaches (about 3 pounds), peeled and sliced into 1/3 inch wedges 

1/2 tsp grated zest and 1.5 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon

1/4 cup granulated sugar

 Instructions:

1.) For the topping: Place all the topping ingredients except for the nuts into a food processor, and process briefly to combine. The mixture will resemble coarse cornmeal. Add the nuts and process again until well mixed. It should look like clumpy wet sand. Refrigerate the topping while preparing the fruit, at least 15 minutes. 

2.) Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees.

3.) For the filling: Toss the chopped peaches, zest, juice, and sugar in a medium bow. Scrape the fruit mixture with a rubber spatula into an 8 inch square baking pan or 9 inch deep dish pie plate.

4.) To assemble and bake the crisp: Distribute the chilled topping evenly over the fruit. Bake for 40 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees and continue baking until the fruit is bubbling and the topping turns deep golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Serve warm with lots of whipped cream.

Verdict:

Success! I’ve found a new go-to recipe for peach crisp.

I liked that this recipe used more almonds and no oatmeal for the topping. The nuts added a nice crunch that held up after refrigeration and a smoky toasted taste. Unlike some of the other recipes in “Baking Illustrated,” there are no funky ingredients or extra steps. It’s very straightforward. Plus, it’s roommate approved, win!