Peach and Blueberry Crumbles

Berries, Desserts, Summer / Friday, July 24th, 2009

peach-and-blueberry-crumble

Every other Saturday, Jeff and I wander through the vendors’ stands at the Nashville Farmers’ Market.

Usually we have an idea of what we want – a few heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn to grill for supper, a week’s worth of fresh eggs – but there are always surprises. A particularly irresistible loaf of sourdough bread. A table full of vacuum-sealed ham hocks begging to be slow-cooked in a pot of beans or greens. Baskets of purple bell peppers.

Last weekend, the market was full of women carrying that Saturday’s surprise, walking around the booths with bouquets of sunflowers resting in the crooks of their arms, like wayward pageant queens looking to christen a corn maze.

Among the squash and kettle corn and lady peas, two things started calling out to me: the perfume of ripe peaches and the sight of plump blueberries.

I’d been thinking about making Ina Garten’s Peach and Blueberry Crumbles, and seeing the two together tipped me, stomach-skewering blueberry allergy be damned.

That afternoon, I peeled and sliced the peaches into thick wedges, added lemon and sugar and flour, stirred in the blueberries and said a little prayer. While the fruit mingled, I made Ina’s very generous crumble topping, certain that the goodness of all that butter, brown sugar and cinnamon would protect me from any blueberry-induced unpleasantness.

It’s so hard to love something that doesn’t love you. That treats you bad. Real bad.

I refrigerated the crumbles until dinner, because catching the scent of dessert baking in the oven while you’re having dinner is one of Life’s Great Pleasures. It leads directly to another one of Life’s Great Pleasures, taking your dessert straight from the oven and crowning it with ice cream that instantly starts to liquefy into the cracks and crevices of the crumble, creating pools of melted ice cream surrounded by molten fruit lava.

It’s as much a transfusion as a dessert, sending all that sunshine through your veins.

It was so good, I forgot I was allergic to blueberries and finished the whole thing.

And I felt fine.

Peach and Blueberry Crumbles

From Ina Garten’s “Barefoot Contessa at Home”

Serves 5 to 6

    For the Fruit:

  • 2 lbs firm, ripe peaches (6-8 peaches)
  • 2 tsp grated lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries (1/2 pint)
    For the Crumble:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 lb (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 1 minute; then place them immediately in cold water. Peel the peaches, slice them into thick wedges, and place them in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and flour. Toss well. Gently mix in the blueberries. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into ramekins.
  3. For the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, cinnamon and butter in a food processor. Pulse until the butter is the size of peas. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until it’s in big crumbles, then sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Place the ramekins on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or Silpat®, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tops are browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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30 thoughts on “Peach and Blueberry Crumbles”

  1. As someone who has recently outgrown her most tempting food allergies, I hear you with the temptation! It is always the things I can't have that I seem to want the most. I'm glad you made it; it looks delicious!

  2. Oh.my.god. That pic is making my mouth water and I'm still full from lunch! I think a trip to the farmers market is definitely in order this weekend. Thanks for the recipe!

  3. Gorgeous picture! I'm glad you were able to enjoy this dessert. I agree dessert straight from the oven is bliss! I'm definitely making this one again.

  7. That photo is heart stopping. I wanna run home and whip up one for myself and later for the kids.

    Glad you didn't suffer from you allergy this time around.
    ~ingrid

  8. I love wandering the local farmers market too! I can only imagine how large the one in Nashville is! Mmm this crumble sounds SOOOO good!!

  9. Saw this photo on Tastespotting or Foodgawker earlier today. Drool….just drool! I love the goodness oozing down the sides. It's looks perfectly messy, but not sloppy.

  10. One of my fave desserts. I've made this several times. It tastes good the next morning for breakfast (cold – right out of the fridge.) I love how the juice oozes down the side. Looks so pretty.

  15. You, my friend have taken a supremely good crumble photo. With the oozing of sugary peach syrup on one side and the oozing of sugary blueberry syrup on the other side. Brilliant. Yea, and the recipe sounds good too.

  16. You, my friend have taken a supremely good crumble photo. With the oozing of sugary peach syrup on one side and the oozing of sugary blueberry syrup on the other side. Brilliant. Yea, and the recipe sounds good too.

  17. I love making crumbles in these little individual ramekins. They're quick and easy for the weeknight, and I don't have to be worried that I'll be tempted to eat more than my share of dessert :)

  18. i don't believe i've ever seen such a magnificent photo of the humble crumble. two shades of goo, melted ice cream, AND buttery crumbs all in one whammy–bravo!

  22. There is something quite seductive about a crumble or pie that spills over, leaving trails of fruity goodness. I'm so glad that you didn't have any ill effects from the blueberries!!!!!

  23. i can't believe you said FU to your blueberry allergy for this dessert! it was TOTALLY worth it though, wasn't it?!? here's to the spirit of the Barefoot Bloggers! ;)

  24. The picture is amazing!! Love the pools of fruit syrup thingy.. It looks mouth-watering! And lucky you, that nothing happened! Maybe you're cured of your allergy?? :D

  26. could this picture be any more drool inducing? could it? i don't think so! beautiful photo and delicious sounding recipe–can't wait to give it a try!

  27. I love crumbles,but I've never thought of crowning it with ice cream instead of just serving it on the side…. I can easily imagine that as one of life's great pleasures, but that photo pretty much says it all.

  28. I often enjoy a similar recipe with the 8 gallons of freshpicked blueberries in my freezer and fridge. This looks mouthwatering! Another fascinating combo is strawberries and peaches-might better suit yoru allergies. Works best in a pie

  30. I am making this right now!!!! I am so excited….I did change it up with mixed blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, yum yum yum. It was super easy too :)

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