Peach Crisp

Summer peaches are pretty much gone from the shelves but if you happen to find some they are not as sweet as they were earlier in the season.

If you grill them or make a peach crisp you will have a dessert that is the perfect ending to the sweet days of summer.

A fruit crisp can help satisfy the sweet cravings without dipping into the bag of candy.

I have been trying to substitute alternative sugars for refined sugar whenever possible and this peach crisp is the perfect foil to do this.

I decided to make my peach crisp in individual ramekins, it helps with portion control. Not only that, but it makes a great dessert for guests.

You can use any fruit you like; whatever you have that is starting to over-ripen; or use frozen fruit. I used peaches that were starting to soften which also made for a shorter bake time than if they were not ripe.

All you need is the fruit, butter, sugar (use alternative sugars such as coconut sugar or organic real maple syrup (not the commerical varieties)), flour, oats, nuts and ramekins or use an 8x8 baking dish.

Peach Crisp

Ingredients

• 4 peaches, peeled & sliced
• 4 TBLS. brown sugar (or coconut sugar*)
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 4 tsp. butter
  

Topping

• 1/3 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/4-1/3 cup whole wheat flour (or any flour you prefer)
• 3 TBLS. brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
• 4 to 6 TBLS. butter, softened

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter the ramekins and set aside.
2. Add the sliced peaches to the buttered ramekins and divide the sugar, cinnamon and butter among the 4 ramekins and stir into the peaches. 
3. For the crisp topping -- add the oats and the walnuts to food processor and pulse  2 or 3 times until they are chopped and you can still see the nuts.  You want to be sure there will be some crunch to the topping.

4. Add the oats and nuts mixture to a small bowl, then add the flour (use only 1/2 the amount of flour to start) and sugar and stir with a fork to blend. 
5. Next add the butter too the mixture and with the fork or your fingers work the butter into the mixture so it's well distributed. If the mixture doesn't hold together work in a little more flour as needed.
6. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the top of the peaches.  Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until the fruit is tender when the fork comes out easily.    Cooking time will depend on the ripeness of the peaches - more ripe, less time.

For toppings you can use a scoop of vanilla ice cream, frozen yogurt, or for lunch add plain Greek yogurt. If you are splurging add some whipped cream.

**Coconut sugar has a low glycemic index and has been recommended by Dr. Oz. You can read more about it here.

Coconut sugar is sold in the organic aisle of some supermarkets. It can be purchased on-line if it is not available in your area.