It can be difficult to remember what season it is here in San Francisco when our typical foggy summer is in full swing. It actually drizzled this morning – unheard of in August.
But the produce section at our co-op tells a different story. Baskets brim with summer squash, eggplants, peppers, fresh beans and okra, not to mention half a dozen varieties of peaches.
And yet I found myself eying the winter squash, apples and sweet potatoes today, and dreaming of hearty soups made with beans and greens.
The joke will be on us come October, when we're sweltering through Indian Summer and wishing for berries and corn again.
But peaches seem to have finally hit their stride. These bright red and orange guys, courtesy of Blossom Bluff Orchards, were perfectly fragrant with juicy, firm flesh. I managed to refrain from eating a few and baked them into this crisp, a good compromise between summer and fall.
I toss the peach slices with bourbon, vanilla bean and maple sugar. The bourbon functions like a cross between vanilla extract and lemon juice; a little tart, a little spicy, with a backbone of complexity and age. (Did that sound like an on-line dating profile, or is it just me?)
I added butter, browned with vanilla bean until it smells like everything good in the world, to the topping along with more maple sugar and quick oats. The texture turned out slightly softer than the original recipe from The Farm via Leite's Culinaria that I doctored up this time last year with cardamom, plums, rhubarb and raspberries. I'm guessing the softness is due to the maple sugar, or perhaps the brown butter that I refused to chill back down and work in as per the original recipe, choosing to stir it into the topping willy-nilly. Even so, I wouldn't change a thing. The crumbles clump, and the nubbier bits retain crunch even after a day or two in the fridge.
Crisp without ice cream is an abomination, so I churned up a batch of my favorite Dreamy Vanilla to serve with it.
It's quite possibly my favorite dessert, ever. Summer comfort food. Though I bet it would be great made with apples or pears when it's fall for real.
More Peach Recipes:
More Crumbles and Crisps:
- Plum, Rhubarb, and Raspberry Cardamom Crisp
- Ginger Plum Crumble
- Gluten-Free Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
- Gluten Free Pear Crisp with Blackberries & Ginger
*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this brown butter peach crisp recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*
Maple Sugar, Bourbon, and Brown Butter Peach Crisp
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Maple Sugar and Brown Butter Crumble Topping:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick / 4 ounces)
- 1/2 of a vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup quick (a.k.a. baby)oats
- 1/2 cup maple sugar (or brown sugar)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea or kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- flaky salt and coarse sugar for sprinkling
Bourbon Peach Filling:
- 2 pounds ripe but firm peaches (6-8 peaches / 6 cups sliced)
- 1/4 cup bourbon whiskey (such as Bulleit)
- 1/4 cup maple sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 of a vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
For serving
Instructions
Brown the butter:
- Combine the butter and vanilla pod half and seeds in a small saucepan. Melt the butter over medium heat, and continue to cook until the butter turns golden with dark brown flecks, about 5 minutes, swirling frequently. Toward the end, the butter will foam up dramatically; watch it closely at this point. Let the browned butter cool at room temperature while you prepare the filling. (If the butter is at risk of over-browning, pour it into a heatproof bowl or measuring cup to stop the cooking.) Remove the pod and discard (or wash, dry, and save it for another use).
Prepare the filling:
- Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375º. Have a 10" oven-proof skillet (or a 10" solid tart or pie pan, or something equivalenat the ready
- Cut the peaches in half, then cut each half into six to eight slices. Place in a large bowl (or right into the baking vesseand sprinkle with the bourbon.
- In a small bowl, combine the maple sugar and vanilla pod and scrapings, rubbing the seeds into the sugar to distribute them evenly. Remove and discard the pod (or save it for another use). Stir the cornstarch into the sugar, then add to the bourbony peaches, tossing gently to coat. Distribute the peaches evenly in the baking vessel.
Make the topping:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, maple sugar, nutmeg and salt. Stir in the melted, cooled brown butter, stirring with a spoon or your hands until the mixture forms large clumps.
- Scatter the crumble topping over the peaches, taking the time to form some of it into small, hazelnut-sized balls. Scatter a bit of flaky salt over the top, as well as some coarse sugar.
- Bake the crisp until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling, 45-60 minutes. Let cool at least 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, preferably with vanilla ice cream. (Leftovers make a tasty breakfast, cold from the fridge, with yogurt instead of ice cream.)
Notes
Nutrition
Maple Sugar, Bourbon, and Brown Butter Peach Crisp
If you like nuts in your crisp, I think this topping would be tasty with 1/4 cup of chopped, toasted pecans. If you don't have a vanilla bean on hand, add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the cooled, browned butter, and another 1/2 teaspoon to the filling along with the bourbon. I used Bulleit bourbon here, but any brand will do. If you don't have or can't find maple sugar, substitute an equal amount of light or dark brown sugar, or an unrefined sugar such as Alter Eco, in the topping, and maple syrup in the filling. And if you only have old-fashioned rolled oats, David Leite says you can whiz them in a coffee grinder to break them up a bit.
Makes 8 servings
Maple Sugar and Brown Butter Crumble Topping:
8 tablespoons (1 stick / 4 ounces) unsalted butter
1/2 of a vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup quick (a.k.a. baby) oats
1/2 cup maple sugar (or brown sugar)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea or kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
flaky salt and coarse sugar for sprinkling
Bourbon Peach Filling:
2 pounds ripe but firm peaches (6-8 peaches / 6 cups sliced)
1/4 cup bourbon whiskey (such as Bulleit)
1/4 cup maple sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 of a vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
Dreamy Vanilla Ice Cream, for serving
Brown the butter:
Combine the butter and vanilla pod half and seeds in a small saucepan. Melt the butter over medium heat, and continue to cook until the butter turns golden with dark brown flecks, about 5 minutes, swirling frequently. Toward the end, the butter will foam up dramatically; watch it closely at this point. Let the browned butter cool at room temperature while you prepare the filling. (If the butter is at risk of over-browning, pour it into a heatproof bowl or measuring cup to stop the cooking.) Remove the pod and discard (or wash, dry, and save it for another use).
Prepare the filling:
Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375º. Have a 10" oven-proof skillet (or a 10" solid tart or pie pan, or something equivalent) at the ready
Cut the peaches in half, then cut each half into six to eight slices. Place in a large bowl (or right into the baking vessel) and sprinkle with the bourbon.
In a small bowl, combine the maple sugar and vanilla pod and scrapings, rubbing the seeds into the sugar to distribute them evenly. Remove and discard the pod (or save it for another use). Stir the cornstarch into the sugar, then add to the bourbony peaches, tossing gently to coat. Distribute the peaches evenly in the baking vessel.
Make the topping:
In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, maple sugar, nutmeg and salt. Stir in the melted, cooled brown butter, stirring with a spoon or your hands until the mixture forms large clumps.
Scatter the crumble topping over the peaches, taking the time to form some of it into small, hazelnut-sized balls. Scatter a bit of flaky salt over the top, as well as some coarse sugar.
Bake the crisp until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling, 45-60 minutes. Let cool at least 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, preferably with vanilla ice cream. (Leftovers make a tasty breakfast, cold from the fridge, with yogurt instead of ice cream.)
Eileen says
Oh man, you certainly don't have to twist my arm. Crumble for the win!
Alanna says
Heehee! Thanks, Eileen! :)
Erin @ Texanerin Baking says
Whoa. This looks amazing! I can't wait to try this with apples. I think peaches are already done for the year and... I have to cry a little about that. Love your pictures! :)
Alanna says
Thank you, Erin! So sorry to hear about the loss of peaches in your neck of the woods. Let me know how the crisp goes with the apples! I'm currently drooling over EVERYTHING on your site - yum!!! :)
Monet says
Oh my goodness, your blog is just beautiful Alanna. You are so talented and I'm very glad I found it! Thank you for sharing these lovely photos...this crisp looks heavenly.
Alanna says
Oh, thank you, Monet! You are the sweetest. :)
Samina | The Cupcake Confession says
OMG!!!!!!! I absolutely love how you have infused vanilla bean with brown butter! Gottttttta try that one! This peach crisp recipe is soooooo delicious! All I want to do right now is pick a spoon and dive straight in! YUMMMM
Alanna says
Haha! Thanks for the sweet words, and let me know how you like the crisp! :)
Cannella Vita says
Oh yum! That looks delicious -- and that last shot with the melty ice cream dripping down the side of the mug is out of this world! I just discovered your blog and I love it!
Alanna says
Awww, thank you!!! :)
Shelly says
Oh my - homemade crisp AND homemade ice cream? I'm in heaven! This looks so delicious and I love the hint of bourbon you added to it!
Alanna says
What an overachiever, right? ;) Thank you, Shelly!
carey says
Our weather has been very confusing out here on the east coast as well. There's definitely a fall chill in the air, which is totally fine by me after some of the gross days we experienced earlier in the summer. Baked stone fruits always make me think of fall being just around the corner, especially when there's a little bourbon involved! Topped with summery vanilla ice cream? Oh yes. Perfect compromise between seasons. :)
Alanna says
Thanks, Carey! You totally get it. :)
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen Notes says
You say bourbon and peaches in a crisp, and I might just knock on your door!
Alanna says
Aw! I might say, "come on in." ;)
Morgan says
Just found your blog recently and have been browsing for hours! Everything looks fantastic!! I am making this peach crisp tonight with ingredients I picked up at my farmer's market :)
Alanna says
Thank you for the sweet words, Morgan! I'm so glad you're enjoying the blog, and I hope you love the crisp! It's definitely one of my favorite desserts, ever. Come back and tell me how you like it, k? :)
Anonymous says
Delicious recipe--that vanilla brown butter alone was an amazing taste--but too salty for our taste. I would lessen the salt in the recipe as well as eliminate the sprinkle at the baking end of recipe. It seemed like it would impart a "salty caramel" taste but I just tasted too much salt. Tasty recipe though.
Alanna says
Thank you for trying out the recipe, and thanks for the feedback - I really appreciate it! I realize that I didn't specify which type of salt I use (fine sea salt) and I've amended that up above. If you used table salt, this could explain the overly-salty flavor, since table salt is finer and has a harsher flavor than sea or kosher salt. If this is the case, then that was my fault, and I'm really sorry.
megalita says
I have cling peaches in pear juice, could I use them in this recipe if I drain the peaches first?
Alanna says
Hm, that's a good question. Are the peaches sweetened and heat-processed? If so, I would omit the sugar from the fruit part of the recipe, and you may not want to bake it as long lest the peaches break down too much. You may want to double the cornstarch in the filling to be safe, too. Let me know how it goes?
Laura Dembowski says
I so want to make this before summer vanishes. I so want to live in California. Here in Michigan we'll probably be shoveling snow in October and telling ourselves Indian Summer is still coming!
Alanna says
Yeah, we San Franciscans have got to be the wimpiest spoiled brats in the world. Ah well, at least you have snow i.e., water, unlike us! Either way, I do hope you get some peachy crisp in your life soon! This is one of my very favorites. :)
Daria Wrubel says
Any suggestions for GF substitutions? Would a straight-up GF all-purpose blend work?
Alanna says
GF crisps are a little bit finicky so I'm not sure...
BarefootInTheKitchen says
will this recipe work with margarine? Unfortunately I am not able to use butter:(
Alanna says
Not sure. If it were me, I would try Earth Balance Buttery Spread and omit the salt in the recipe. Please let me know how it goes!
Tara says
Hello,
I never leave comments unless I have questions or have actually made a featured recipe as "this looks good" is not generally very informative. I have made this recipe on four seperate occasions now and can report that each group to whom I presented this dish absolutely devoured it! Yes, it did look gorgeous, but more importantly, the rich, complex, comforting and indulgent flavour combination of peach, maple and brown sugar are so glorious that guests unanimously declare it to be a new fave which must be made again and again.:) Thanks so much for this treasure!
Kimberly says
This is the best peach crisp recipe I have ever found! The browned butter and fresh nutmeg is what makes it unique. I didn't have regular bourbon, so I used Jack's Tennessee Honey and it was just fine. I bet it would taste good with Amaretto as well.
The Bojon Gourmet says
That sounds delightful! Amaretto does sound like a great sub too. Let me know if you try it :)
Tina says
Could I make this the day before, refrigerate, and bake off the next day?
Alanna says
I think you could keep the components separate overnight, then combine and bake. Let me know if you try it!
Anna says
Can I use an 8x8 square pan instead of a skillet?
Alanna says
I *think* that should work, though that might be a touch smaller than the 10-inch round skillet I used here. If it doesn't all fit, stick the rest in a ramekin. It will bubble as it bakes, so be sure to place it on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Please let me know how it turns out!
Laura says
This was absolutely amazing! It will be the only peach crisp recipe I use from now on!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Aw yay, I'm so glad you liked it! Peaches are amazing rn!