Several weeks ago, I received a piece of very important kitchen equipment from my mom: a nut chopper. Scott and I were visiting my parents, and for some reason my mom and I were chatting about a few things I was still looking to include in our kitchen. In particular, I told her that I had been on the prowl for a nut chopper like hers.
I have fond memories of turning the tiny crank of the nut chopper and watching the nuts be pulled through the metal teeth only to fall into the clear glass cylinder as tiny pieces. After some searching, my mom found hers tucked away in the back of a cabinet, and since she hadn't used it in a number of years, she gave it to me.
Just holding the nut chopper in my hands gave me a sense of kitchen completion. Thanks Mom! The next step was figuring out a recipe for my "new" nut chopper's debut. Once home, I decided to go the route of the crumble and pulled together some peaches, oats, and pecans. Since it was incredibly hot at the time, I opted to portion the ingredients out into ramekins so I could bake our dessert in the toaster oven and avoid the epic summer battle of oven versus air conditioner.
Notes:
If you don't have access to tasty peaches right now, hold on to this recipe for a few weeks and try this out with apples and a nice dose of cinnamon. If you don't have white whole wheat flour, just use all-purpose flour instead. You'll need 4 ramekins to make this recipe. If you don't have ramekins, you can assemble this in a small baking dish that accommodates all of the sliced peaches. I baked these in a toaster oven so I wouldn't heat up the kitchen with the regular oven. Since the tops are closer to the heating element in the toaster oven, they require a little more attention so the topping doesn't burn, but it's worth it to use the toaster oven for more than just toast! This recipe doubles, but you'll want to bake a double batch in a regular oven so you can bake everything at once.
Filling Ingredients:
2 medium-large peaches
1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar (use less if your peaches are on the sweet side)
1 tablespoon white whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Topping Ingredients:
½ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
Optional:
vanilla ice cream for serving
Serves 4
Peel, Toss, Layer:
If using a regular oven, set a rack at the middle level, and preheat the oven to 350°F. If using the toaster oven, there is no need to preheat. Peel the peaches and slice them thin. Toss the slices with the granulated sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Equally distribute the peaches into four ramekins. If there is any of the flour mixture left in the bowl, evenly divided it between the ramekins. Toss together the chopped pecans, oats, brown sugar, and butter. Use your fingertips to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it is pea-sized. Equally divide the topping mixture over the top of the peaches.
Baking in a Toaster Oven:
Set the rack at the lowest level in your toaster oven. Place the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet that fits inside your toaster oven to catch any drips, and cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil to keep the tops from burning since they will be close to the heating element. Place the pan in the toaster oven, and bake at 300°F for 30-40 minutes or until the peaches have collapsed and the topping is golden brown. Check after 15-20 minutes, and then every 5-7 minutes, to confirm that the topping is not burning. Serve warm. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top if you are feeling adventurous!
Baking in a Regular Oven:
No toaster oven? No worries! Place the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips, and place the pan in the oven and bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, or until the peaches have collapsed and the topping is golden brown. If the topping is browning too quickly, cover with a piece of aluminum foil. Pin It
No comments:
Post a Comment