Plum and Peach Crisp

I find the monsoon weather a little puzzling. The moment I think that the heat is really oppressing and I need to make a dessert that is served cold, the weather takes a turn, there is a storm and I find myself wistfully thinking of something that is warm and comforting. In this season that has its own twists and turns, I thought of the apple pear crisp I had made a while ago and how it could be served both hot and cold. It could be eaten warm, out of the oven or even chilled the next day! Ah! Now that had so many possibilities. I remembered the lovely stone fruits that we get this season and thought I would replicate that using my favourite fruits – peaches and plums. Really, there is nothing in the world that beats a delicious crisp with a crumbly crust, and some fragrant fruit paired with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. 

I do not like my crisps and crumbles to be too sweet so I drastically cut down on the sugar. As the plums are quite tangy, I used less sugar and allowed the vanilla ice cream to provide the sweet edge. If you do not intend to serve this with ice cream, I suggest doubling the quantity of sugar with the fruit.

I made a really thick topping as I like a deep crust. You can use half the crust mix to line the bottom of the pan, put in the filling and use the remaining half of the crust as a topping.

I also like the fruit to retain its shape and texture and thus, I keep my baking time to a minimum – just enough so that the topping gets nice and golden and the fruit juices start bubbling along the sides of the dish.

Feel free to swap the fruits – mango and bananas would be a great combination as well!

Plum and Peach Crisp

Inspired by Dorie Greenspan

Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients:

For the filling:

4 medium size peaches, peeled and chopped

8 plums, peeled and chopped

½ cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tbsp flour

For the topping:

1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

¾ cup oats

A large pinch of cinnamon

A large pinch of ground cloves

115 gms/ 8 tbsp of butter (if using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt)

Method:

1.       Preheat the oven to 350C or 180F.

2.       To make the crisp, add all the ingredients except the butter in a large bowl and sift it with your fingers to blend them. Melt the butter and add it to the mix. Use your hands to moisten all the ingredients thoroughly.

3.       For the filling, toss all the ingredients together.

4.       Pour the filling into a 8 inch baking dish. Scatter the crisp topping over the filling evenly.

5.       Slide the pan in the oven and bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until the topping is golden and the fruit juices are bubbling up all around the edges.

6.       Let it cool and serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.