Peach Crisp with Cinnamon Pecan Cookie Crumble

When  I was little, my grandfather went to the farmer's market daily in his retirement and often would come back with a basket of fresh South Carolina peaches. One of my favorite memories is biting into a perfectly ripe peach. We also used to churn fresh ice cream and top it with those peaches or use the peaches as a base for a cobbler. So I loved the idea of using our Cinnamon Pecan cookies in a crumbly topping for a Peach Crisp.

Adding Cinnamon Pecan cookies to our recipe also brought back memories. When I was little, there was a pecan grove on my grandfather’s farm and the cousins would wander through, picking up pecans that had fallen on the ground. I’d take mine home and my father would watch football while cracking the shells and cleaning the nuts, and I would help.   I had an ulterior motive in helping clean those pecans. You see, Daddy taught me to bake and his favorite cookie (and mine), was our Cinnamon Pecan cookie, which Dad always called "The Goodest Cookie in the World!"  

And now one of my favorite ways to enjoy the 'goodest' cookie in the world is to pair it with juicy, late summer peaches. A  bubbly peach crisp is just as easy to prepare as a cobbler. Plus it has even more flavor with its crunchy topping.  

When you have great ingredients, you don't have to do much to make a delicious dessert. Which is good news since it's so hot right now! So the prep time on this recipe is short and you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry already. Plus, I don't even peel the peaches for this crisp. Simply slice the fruit and toss with flour, brown sugar and a little bit of lemon juice and vanilla to make the base.  For the crumbly topping, you just need butter, flour, rolled oats and our Cinnamon Pecan Cookies.

I hope you'll enjoy this dessert as much as I do. My peach crisp truly is a taste of home, and reminds me of time spent with family. What is it about food and memories that are so intricately linked?

Peach Crisp
Makes 6-8 servings

4 cups sliced ripe peaches, skin on
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup all purpose flour, divided in half
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup rolled oats
6 Grey Ghost Bakery Cinnamon Pecan Cookies, crushed
1 pint Vanilla Ice Cream (for serving)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Toss the peaches with the lemon zest, juice, vanilla and salt. Add 1/2 cup flour and sugar. Toss to combine.
3. In a separate bowl, use your fingers to cut the butter into the flour and oats, creating a crumbly mixture. Stir in the crushed cookie crumbs.
4. Pour the peach mixture into an 8x8 baking dish.
5. Top the peaches with the cookie crumb mixture.
6. Cover the crisp with a piece of foil.
7. Bake in the oven until the peaches are bubbly, about 25 minutes.
8. Remove the foil and cook until the the topping is browned and crispy.
9. Serve the crisp warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.