Let me start by saying happy almost 4th of July!
It has been a slow summer of social distancing and taking this pandemic one day at a time. Even though celebrations won’t be like other years, this year I still plan on making a lot of yummy foods.
Insert this bourbon peach cast iron crisp. Delicious, summer-y and a really quick recipe to whip up within minutes. It’s as easy as mixing in a frozen bag of Michigan Peaches, toss with all kinds of bourbon and brown sugar goodness then top with an oat crumble that bubbles and crisps up to perfection in the oven when it bakes. I love to top mine with a bourbon hard sauce when it is still warm and fresh out of the oven and serve!
To kick off this weekend holiday, I am going to start by making my Sous Vide Chili Oil BBQ Ribs. I know we just ate them only a week ago but they were so delicious and so appropriate for the 4th weekend that I can’t help but make them again. I will serve them with some Au Gratin Potatoes (recipe coming soon). Probably another recipe I will be making in my cast iron skillet and a boat load of watermelon. I say a boat load because I am absolutely in love with watermelon and always have some in my house. Year round.
Speaking of cast iron skillets, I recently realized that I cook with my 12 inch Lodge every day and found that it was time to maybe upgrade. I ended up finding and purchasing a 15 3/4 inch Lodge Cast Iron the other day when I wanted more room so I could make some fried chicken (recipe also coming soon) and I have yet to not use it. I truly can’t believe I went so long without buying one this size for so long. The way it heats up evenly and stays hot while cooking everything evenly is just heaven!
So far, with my new 15in cast iron I have made:
- Fried Chicken (recipe coming soon)
- Herbed Chicken Burgers
- Low and Slow Short Ribs
- Oven baked Bacon
- Crispy Skin Lemon Chicken with Black rice
- and this amazing Peach Bourbon Crisp
As you can tell I am incredibly obsessed and would say that a cast iron skillet is one of my most recommended kitchen staples.
Alright, so let me walk you through how this dessert comes together so quickly.
The best thing to any crisp starts with brown sugar, butter and super sweet peaches. I love Michigan peaches because that is where I live and they are simply so juicy and sweet. However, you can use fresh or frozen peaches from anywhere. I also add in a bit of bourbon throughout the peach mixture as well as in the crumble for good measure and to make sure that the recipe is nice and cohesive.
When all of these wonderful ingredients bake in the oven, they create this caramel-like sauce with the moisture of the peaches. To be honest, this would be just as good with just the peaches on their own. The sweet caramel they create and top over some vanilla ice cream just sounds delicious.
However, the added crisp on top made from oats, almonds and more butter makes this dish simply amazing. I would recommend making this with fresh or frozen peaches all throughout the summer when you are craving a sweet treat. I know I will be making this ahead for the 4th of July weekend ahead of us and just popping it in the oven when ready to have dessert!
Here are a few tips and tricks to follow that will make this Bourbon Peach Crisp easier and quicker to bake:
- Avoid extra dirty dishes by mixing the peach filling right in the cast iron skillet or baking dish.
- Use frozen already sliced peaches so all you have to do is pull them out of the freezer and dump them into the cast iron skillet. If you are opposed to frozen, make your life easier by leaving the the skin on and just using fresh peaches.
- Before you start doing anything, preheat the oven. This recipe requires a hot oven and the sooner you start preheating the better. That way you can let the oven get sufficiently hot while you are mixing the crisp.
- If you are using a cast iron skillet or just a baking dish, place it on a baking sheet before putting it in the oven. In case the crisp bubbles up and over the sides, you will have the baking sheet there to catch it instead of it dripping on the bottom of your oven.
- Bake until the crisp has bubbles around the edges and the top is nice and golden brown. I recommend 45 minutes but oven temps and times vary so keep a close eye on it and assess if you need to put it back in after 45 minutes for 5 minutes more so it gets nice a golden brown.
- Put the bourbon hard sauce on top right out of the oven. This allows it to melt and incorporate all through the peaches and adds the best flavor. Enjoy!
And not to worry if you have a little extra left over. This crisp doubles as a great sweet breakfast treat when heated up in the morning.
Bourbon Peach Cast Iron Crisp
Ingredients
Bourbon Peach Filling
- 2 1/2 lbs fresh peaches, or 1 32oz. bag of frozen peaches
- 2 1/2 tbsp bourbon
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tsp orange zest, approx 1 orange
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp cornstarch (sub arrowroot powder)
Crisp Topping
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
Bourbon Hard Sauce
- 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp bourbon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a 12 in cast iron skillet or a 9×13-inch baking dish, mix together the peaches, bourbon, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla, brown sugar and cinnamon. Toss to coat then sprinkle with the corn starch and toss again. Make sure to get all of the peaches covered with the mixture. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the oats, almonds, sugars, cinnamon, cardamon and flour. Stir using a whisk to combine well. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, crumble the cold butter into the mixture until it forms a course meal. I always compare this mixture to clumpy sand.
- Sprinkle the topping over the peach mixture. Bake until the peach juice bubbles around the edges and the top of the crisp is golden brown, about 40-45 minutes.
- While the crisp bakes, make the bourbon hard sauce. Beat the softened butter, powdered sugar, bourbon and vanilla until smooth. Scrape down the sides and transfer to a serving dish. When crisp is done, scoop a heaping spoonful on top of the crisp when served.
Nutrition
