It's apricot season! And almost peach season. So I combined two of my very favorite fruits to create this lovely crisp that was enjoyed on a warm summer evening with a big helping of vanilla ice cream. It was perfect! It's sweet, summery, light and has great texture from the nuts used in the topping. I could probably eat this every day.
I absolutely love apricots and peaches for baking. I feel like peaches are more common, or even apples, for a crisp, but I find the addition of apricots with the peaches really creates a great dish. Plus, they're in-season right now and I'm all about using the freshest produce I can get my hands on. This did not disappoint!
A few years ago after having ventured into Costco and impulse bought a huge package of fresh apricots, I had no idea what to do with them. I'm familiar with making a peach crisp, or peach cobbler, but hadn't heard of an apricot crisp. So I made one up! My grandparents were visiting that evening and Grandpa has a sweet tooth, so I got a little creative and wanted to use the rest of my apricots up anyways. Turns out, I love the apricots maybe a little more than peaches. Their texture is sweeter and the hint of lemon brings out a richness to them that you wouldn't expect. Plus, they're softer, so they melt almost into a sugary jam that goes so perfectly with vanilla ice cream. They loved it and we all loved it. I just wish I hadn't waited so long to recreate this!
How to Make:
First things first. You don't have to use apricots if you can't find them. You could use pretty much any berries with peaches, all peaches, just berries...it's pretty flexible. For this recipe though, I recommend soft fruits only. I'll save an Apple Crisp recipe for Fall :)
I used half peaches and half red apricots. Yellow apricots are no different, just the color really. Chopping everything uniformly and clearing out the pits, I squeezed a bit of lemon and added my sugar to my fruit. This is what creates the jammy texture.
After this, getting the crisp topping made up was the next step. This is gluten free as I used almond flour, but you could easily use regular all-purpose flour if you like.
Additionally, I used walnuts and almonds, only because that's what I had on hand, but you could easily use macadamias, pecans, or a variety of the four. It's all good.
The brown sugar caramelizes during the baking process that allows the topping to come together instead of crumbling all over the place. A little crumble is good, too much and it's a sloppy mess.
I added my fruit into a greased glass pan and added my crumble to the top of the fruit. Ensuring even thickness, I melted my butter and drizzled over the top. This also helps it bind together in addition to the brown sugar.
Into the oven it goes for 40 minutes or so, or until the topping begins to brown and then it's time to enjoy! Serve with vanilla ice cream for the perfect bite or eat it on its own. It's perfect for a summer party or as a sweet treat on a random weeknight :)
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