Peach Crisp

Peach Crisp is a tasty alternative to apple crisp, and a favorite in our household in the summer or winter. If you've never tried it, you don't know what you're missing. I use my home canned peaches for this recipe (2 quarts), which makes throwing everything together really simple. You can use the same recipe for apple crisp, which is equally delicious, or experiment with other fruits in place of the peaches.

This is a tried-and-true recipe that I have been using since high school. Please do not try to substitute additional butter for the shortening (it will turn into an overly greasy topping which is not very pretty!).

If you are using fresh peaches, blanch* them in boiling water first to remove their skins. Use "free-stone" peaches so you can easily remove the pits.

Filling:

• 3-4 cups sliced peaches
• 1 Tablespoon flour
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 cup quick cooking rolled oats
• ½ cup butter/margarine
• 1/3 cup shortening

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8” square pan and set aside.

2. Mix together all filling ingredients and pour into greased pan.

3. Mix together all dry topping ingredients and cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender until well incorporated. Spread topping evenly over filling and bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

*How to "blanch" peaches: Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, carefully drop in 2 or 3 peaches into the water. Wait 30-60 seconds, or until you see the skins starting to peel. Remove peaches from the water with a slotted spoon and allow to cool briefly. Cut peaches around through to the middle from stem to bottom, and using your knife or fingers, remove the skins. Skins should slide off easily.