My How Time Flies!

Growing up, we celebrated special occasions, events, and milestones with food. Out for dinner. Out for ice cream. Make a favorite meal. Make a favorite dessert. The memory of those events can easily be recalled with the right dish. So when Country Cooking turned a year old, I celebrated with a new look -- background picked out by my son -- and a great meal.

It was a warm day, so my husband grilled a london broil and corn on the cob and I made stuffed tomatoes. And while I don't typically make dessert, I decided this was a special occasion. And because it was such a warm day, I wanted a dessert that tasted like summer. One of my favorite summer fruit is peaches, so I decided to make peach crisps.

It was a wise decision. They were a hit, and I can't wait to make them again. I'll be stocking up on the "seconds" from the farmer's market this summer, since I see lots of peach crisps, cobblers, and crostatas in our future!

Peach Crisps
A Country Cooking Original

Ingredients:

• 6-8 6 oz. ramekins
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• pinch of nutmeg
• 6 tablespoons cold butter
• 2 bags frozen peaches, chopped
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.
3. Cut the cold butter into pieces. Add the butter to the food processor and pulse until mixture resembles a moist, coarse meal.
4. Place the still-frozen, chopped peaches in a bowl. Add the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, cornstarch and vanilla extract and gently stir to coat the peaches.
5. Divide the peaches between the ramekins. Top with the crumb mixture, evening out the surface. (Don't worry if it's full right to the top. It will sink a bit as it cooks.)
6. Bake until the topping is crisp and golden brown, about 45 minutes. If the topping appears underdone, continue baking in 10 minute increments until it's done.
7. Serve warm or at room temp with either whipped topping, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.