Biscoff Peach Crisp

Ok folks, it's summer which means that it's crisp time! Let's start out with this one... Biscoff Peach Crisp. If it weren't for the fact that Stephen and I were taking this over to our friends for an after dinner dessert, we probably would have eaten the whole thing by ourselves... in one sitting... seriously. I had been dreaming about making this crisp for months, and now that it's finally peach season I told Stephen that we had to make it! I literally threw this together in a matter of minutes. It was a good thing Stephen wasn't watching at the time because I snuck in a few ingredients that he's less than keen on. #1 oats- but really, a crisp just wouldn't be a crisp without a few oats in the topping. #2 cinnamon- for some reason he's not a big fan of it, but the flavor here is just to enhance the sweetness of the peaches and brown sugar, it by no means overwhelms the crisp. And #3 Biscoff cookies- I crumbled them up and used them as part of the topping. He was smitten and so was I! We served it up with a nice big scoop of vanilla ice cream- talk about the perfect summer treat! Enjoy!

Biscoff Peach Crisp

Ingredients

5 ripe peaches, skin removed and sliced

3 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. cornstarch

¹⁄₈ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

Topping:

⅔ c. all-purpose flour

⅓ c. old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

¼ c. sugar

¼ c. brown sugar

4 Biscoff cookies, crushed to your liking

6 tbsp. (¾ stick) butter, cold and cubed

¼ tsp. cinnamon

¹⁄₈ tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Set aside an 8x8 or 8x6 glass baking dish.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sliced peaches (don't slice them too thin), sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. Toss gently and allow to sit while preparing the topping.

3. To prepare the topping, in a medium size mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar, brown sugar, crushed Biscoff cookies, cinnamon, and salt. Mix to combine. Using a pastry blender, cut in the cold butter. Mix until medium size clumps remain, about the size of dime, maybe a little bit smaller.

4. To assemble, pour the peaches into the baking dish, cover with topping. Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Keep a careful eye on the top, making sure that it doesn't get too dark- if the peaches are not soft yet and the top is getting too dark, cover with foil. I didn't have a problem with mine, but all ovens are different!

5. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving warm.

NOTE: For a 9x13 pan you will need to double the recipe.

Life Made Simple Original Recipe | Makes 4-6 servings

Rustic Chicken and Vegetable Cobbler

Stephen and I went to Barnes & Noble back in May to look for a few books. I ended up leaving with two cookbooks, one of them being The Back in The Day Bakery Cookbook. If you haven't peeked inside it, you're missing out! My mouth waters each time I turn a page... seriously. This past Sunday I decided to make my own version of their savory chicken and veggie cobbler. I loved the idea of using biscones (a combination of a biscuit and scone) instead of crust, but wasn't incredibly keen on using so much sugar in them. So I made several alterations along they way and it turned out to be one of our favorite meals! I love traditional chicken pot pie, but I'm telling you, this is tasty!

Rustic Chicken and Vegetable Cobbler
Ingredients
6 tbsp. + 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature (divided)
½ c. all-purpose flour
1 c. heavy cream
½ c. whole milk
4 c. (or one 32oz box) chicken broth
4 c. chicken, grilled or roasted, cubed
1 c. yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ c. carrots, chopped (½")
3 ribs celery, chopped (½")
1½ c. frozen peas
1 c. frozen corn
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. ground sage
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Biscone topping:
3 c. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. corn starch
2 tbsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
¾ tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed
1½ c. buttermilk
3 tbsp. buttermilk, for brushing

DIRECTIONS:
1. To make the biscone topping- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Whisk gently to combine. Add the cold cubed butter. With a pastry blender, work until mixture becomes sandy. Pour in 1½ c. buttermilk and mix until the dough becomes moist and no loose pockets of flour remain. Set dough aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Set aside.
3. In a large pot over medium heat, melt 6 tbsp. of butter. Add diced onion and garlic and sauté until tender and transparent. Add the carrots and celery. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Slowly pour in the chicken stock, cream and whole milk. Raise the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add flour and remaining butter. Whisk constantly until all clumps are gone. Toss in chicken, peas, carrots and seasonings. Cook for an additional 20 minutes or until mixture thickens.
5. Transfer filling to a prepared baking dish. Arrange the biscone dough over top by forming palm size balls and placing them ¼ inch apart. Brush each biscone with buttermilk.
6. Place in oven (you may want to place a foil-lined baking sheet under it to catch drips) and bake for 20 minutes or until the tops of the biscones turn golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Adapted from The Back In The Day Bakery Cookbook, Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Cobbler | Makes approximately 8-10 servings