This new and improved gluten free Peach Crisp was a lot of fun to shoot and even more fun to eat. I’m loving (rather than dreading) taking pictures ever since I took the Food and Light Photography Workshop.
Why another Peach Crisp? Well, a number of you had left comments on my “old” Peach Crisp recipe, mentioning that the topping seemed wet. So, I went back and tried the recipe myself. I wrote that recipe 2 years ago and I guess my tastes have changed –and hopefully my cooking skills have improved. I like this crisp much better than the old one.
What’s different? Well, I reduced the amount of oil in the topping, cut out the baking soda and reduced the salt by half –now it’s more to my liking. When I made the old one last week, I took it to a baseball potluck (we’ve had a ton of those this year!). I served it with ice cream to mask the salt, though nobody seemed to notice it was too salty (or gluten free for that matter) people were psyched to have a warm dessert with fresh baked fruit.
Anyway, to those of you who made my overly salty Peach Crisp with the runny topping and did not find it to your liking –my apologies, and I hope you enjoy this one, now that we are at the height of peach season.
Grain-Free Peach Crisp
Ingredients
- 6 large peaches, sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 1½ cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- ¼ cup palm shortening or grapeseed oil
- ¼ cup honey or agave nectar
Instructions
- Place peach slices in a large bowl, sprinkle with lemon juice, vanilla, and arrowroot; toss to incorporate all ingredients
- In a , combine almond flour, salt, grapeseed oil and agave for topping
- Place peach mixture in a 3 quart baking dish
- Crumble topping over peaches
- Bake covered at 350°F for 45 minutes, until peach juice is bubbling
- Remove cover and bake a few more minutes if topping is not yet browned
- Serve
As some of you can imagine, and some of you have even mentioned to me (ahem Lillian!) I am a fairly meticulous person, and very detailed. I usually test a recipe 5 or 10 times before it is posted on this site and spend weeks developing various dishes that my lucky (poor) family has to eat (over and over again).
When it comes to my recipe development for books and magazines, imagine tripling the above process. So, it’s best to look at this website as a developmental piece. With all of this cooking, my cooking has (hopefully) improved. On that note, I encourage you to use the more recent recipes on the site, though some of you may have some old favorites that work out quite well.
One thing I have learned from my readers is that I like salt –a little too much, and more than the average person. So I’ve definitely cut down on the salt in my recipes over the last year.
Have you noticed that anything else has changed? Is there anything that bugs you? Do you have any favorite recipes from the archives that you make over and over again? Leave a comment and let us all know!
Donna says
I just made the “new improved” peach crisp (never made the old one) and the topping was wet and pourable, not crumbly at all…don’t know why as I followed the recipe exactly. I make your zucchini chocolate chip muffins all the time, everyone loves them!
Thanks so much for your recipes, you have changed my life!
Jeana says
I found the same texture. I worked the flour into the oil and then added the agave. I wonder if we are working it too much? Maybe need to mix the oil and agave and not mix the almond flour in well??? I used my fingers to glob it on. Tasted fine and we added a dollop of ice cream!
Mary says
Hi, was wondering if you could suggest a substitute for lemon juice (I am allergic) in your sweet recipes. I usually just substitute a lesser amount of vinegar (usually champagne) in savory recipes but am stumped on good substitutions for desserts. Would love to try this crisp recipe! Thanks.
Katie says
Mary,
I don’t always have lemon on hand, and frequently substitute a little apple cider vinegar. I can’t tell a significant difference and everything I’ve made has turned out wonderfully. (Of course, if you’re making lemon bars this won’t work : ) I would suggest the Apple Cider Vinegar rather than white vinegar, for instance, because it has a bit of sweetness to it.
Hope this helps!
Katie
Meagan says
I have been wanting to try your German Chocolate cake recipe FOREVER. I haven’t gotten around to it yet. Shame on me. Seems like I can’t justify making a cake for no reason? I’d use maple syrup instead of agave in all your recipes.
gina says
Can coconut flour be used instead of almond flour? I have so much of it on hand, but no almond flour.
Toad says
I have never purchased almond flour but have coconut flour and love it. For this recipe and the rest, would it be ok to substitute coconut flour for almond flour? I really want to try this recipe out.
elana says
Hi there Primal Toad.
Please see this FAQ before attempting that substitution.
have a great day xo
Elana
Sandy says
Hi Elana,
Thank you so very much for all the time and effort you devote to your gluten-free recipes. However, my deepest appreciation is that you are willing to share your talents with all of us!!!!! I have told so many people about your sight and bought your book for a family member and myself.
I have RA and do better without gluten and dairy and too many sweets, even agave. When I do feel like baking, I usually eat too much of the dessert in one week. It is so easy to justify eating too much since I am underweight. Sometimes I do freeze some for later or share with family,and friends. However, I was wondering do you plan to tackle cooking some desserts with stevia? I keep hearing bad press about agave.
With gratitude,
Sandy
Jay Bradley says
I guess I’m the only one who gags on the dry texture, and bitter flavor of arrow root powder. Nut, tapioca, and coconut flours, with combinations of xanthum gum or corn starch, seem to play nicer with a greater variety of flavors IMHO.
Rachel says
We noticed the saltiness at our house too and concluded that celtic sea salt (which we don’t use and have never seen) might be coarser than the salt we use. The result when we use your measurement in a recipe is that we’re actually putting in more salt than you are. Could be . . .
Thanks for providing such a fantastic public service.
cindy says
I haven’t made a lot of your recipes yet, but I LOVE the sesame cookies :)
Allison says
Your old recipes are still the bomb! Salt level is perfect for me. I’m SCD so I use honey and can’t use arrowroot (I’ve had good luck substituting Cnut flour).
I use your original Simple Bread recipe all the time- I slice it thin and put it back in the oven on low to dry them out as crackers.
Vanilla Cupcakes are my staple birthday cake and recently I used it as a double layer strawberry ‘shortcake’ with whipped cream.
I love the crust recipes from your book as well as everything I’ve tried.
Your photos have always been excellent and I have particularly admired them- and I’m a photographer!
Much appreciation and gratitude,
Allison