It’s Georgia peach season, folks! All year I look forward to this sweet, juicy delight and stock up heavily when summertime hits. There are so many uses for this delectable stone fruit, and summer always brings a whirlwind of frenzied creativity that allows me to maximize my peach intake without getting bored! Peach pie to peach salsa, peach ice cream to peach chutney, peach relish, peach preserves, turnovers, cobblers–each holds its own special place in my heart. Yeah, it’s safe to say I love peaches with a fervent passion! But my favorite peach recipes are in the dessert category.
A couple of years ago I was trying to come up with a special offering featuring peaches. I wanted it to be something unique and expressive, but with one foot rooted in a traditional application. Cobblers were played out, and I had just run a candied ginger + peach pie, so I couldn’t do another one. I settled on a simple crisp so as not to overwhelm my cooks with a complicated special added to our already large and innovative menu. But I asked myself, “How can I make it something indulgent and unique that will surprise our guests and challenge their perceptions?” I wanted to tempt them with a new and enriching experience that would produce such rapturous delectation that they’d keep coming back for more!
I started by focusing on all the things with which peaches pair perfectly. Perhaps because of their depth of sweetness, richer ingredients such as brown sugar, maple syrup, BBQ, bourbon and pork always come to mind first. I wanted to use all of these elements in one dish and became resolute in my quest to develop the ideal combination. After a couple of delicious attempts I knew that I had it. Below is the recipe that finally revealed itself to me in a moment of divine inspiration.
Initially, some people didn’t know what to make of the candied bacon, but after one bite they were all believers! Its smoky sweetness enhances the rich dulce de leche ice cream magnificently, while the robust essence of bourbon and maple syrup in the caramel is accentuated by the brown sugar in the peaches. The way the flavors mingle on your taste buds is unadulterated ambrosia and the whole experience is brought to a euphoric climax by the crunch and cinnamon-kissed earthiness of the toasted pecans. Simply put, you will want to make this delectable dessert over and over again. Now, let’s make some magic!
peach pecan crisp + candied bacon + dulce de leche ice cream + maple caramel
the candied bacon:
½ lb. applewood smoked bacon
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ tsp. ground cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire cooling rack on top. Spray the rack with cooking spray.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and the cayenne pepper. Add the bacon strips and toss to coat well. Place the bacon strips onto the cooling rack on the foil lined baking sheet and place in the oven. Cook the bacon until crisp and glazed by the sugar, 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Chop and set aside.
the bourbon maple caramel:
¾ cup granulated cane sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
1-2 tbsp. bourbon, depending on how strong you like it!
½ tsp. vanilla paste
¼ tsp. kosher salt
Place the sugar in an even layer into a small saucepan. Add the water and heat the pan to medium-low heat. Cook, without stirring, until the edges of the sugar-water begin to liquefy and bubble, about 10-12 minutes. At this point, begin stirring the sugar water until all the sugar has dissolved and the liquid has become a lovely amber color, 20-25 minutes. Watch out! The change tends to happen rather quickly. Remove from heat and slowly incorporate the heavy cream, whisking the entire time. The mixture will bubble up rapidly, this is perfectly normal.
Whisk in the remaining ingredients and return the pan to medium-low heat for about 4 minutes, whisking frequently to dissolve any clumps that may have formed. Remove from heat, set aside and allow to cool. Caramel will thicken as it cools.
the filling:
5 cups fresh peaches, peeled/pit removed/thinly sliced
¾ cup granulated cane sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. vanilla paste
¼ tsp. kosher salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8”x 9” high-lipped baking dish.
To peel the peaches, cut a small X on the bottom of the peaches. Blanche the peaches by submerging in hot, simmering water, then plunging in ice water. The peels will peel off quite easily! Combine the peaches, flour, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Gently toss until peaches are thoroughly coated.
Spread the peaches evenly into the prepared baking dish. Set aside.
the pecan topping:
¾ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup pecans, shelled/chopped
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup unsalted butter, cubed/softened
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. kosher salt
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, salt and pecans until thoroughly combined. Add the butter and, using a rubber spatula, break the butter up into the pecan mixture until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the peaches in the prepared baking dish. Press down lightly.
Bake the crisp until the pecan topping is golden-brown and the peach juices are bubbling around the edges, 35-40 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Serve portions warm with a scoop of dulce de leche ice cream. Drizzle the maple bourbon caramel over the top and sprinkle about a tablespoon of candied bacon on top. Now, get ready to indulge like you’ve never done before! YUM!!
coffee pairing: Caramel Macchiato
beverage pairing: Arnold Palmer
A tall, chilly one made with Tazo Giant Peach tea + Hubert’s Lemonade
musical pairing: Boys Wanna Be Her – Peaches
peach pecan crisp + candied bacon + dulce de leche ice cream + bourbon caramel
- Total Time: approx. 1 hour + half
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Summer is the perfect time to experiment with peaches! This sweet and savory peach dessert featuring pecans and candied bacon will make you wish it was summer all year long!
peach pecan crisp free from: soy + peanut + fish + shellfish + trans fat + vegetarian
candied bacon free from: gluten + dairy + egg + peanut + tree nut
maple bourbon caramel free from: gluten + soy + egg + peanut + tree nut + vegetarian
Ingredients
for the candied bacon:
½ lb. applewood smoked bacon
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ tsp. ground cayenne pepper
for the caramel:
¾ cup granulated cane sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
1-2 tbsp. bourbon, depending on how strong you like it!
½ tsp. vanilla paste
¼ tsp. kosher salt
for the filling:
5 cups fresh peaches, peeled/pit removed/thinly sliced
¾ cup granulated cane sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. vanilla paste
¼ tsp. kosher salt
for the topping:
¾ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup pecans, shelled/chopped
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup unsalted butter, cubed/softened
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. kosher salt
Instructions
the candied bacon:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire cooling rack on top. Spray the rack with cooking spray.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and the cayenne pepper. Add the bacon strips and toss to coat well. Place the bacon strips onto the cooling rack on the foil lined baking sheet and place in the oven. Cook the bacon until crisp and glazed by the sugar, 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Chop and set aside.
the bourbon maple caramel:
Place the sugar in an even layer into a small saucepan. Add the water and heat the pan to medium-low heat. Cook, without stirring, until the edges of the sugar-water begin to liquefy and bubble, about 10-12 minutes. At this point, begin stirring the sugar water until all the sugar has dissolved and the liquid has become a lovely amber color, 20-25 minutes. Watch out! The change tends to happen rather quickly. Remove from heat and slowly incorporate the heavy cream, whisking the entire time. The mixture will bubble up rapidly, this is perfectly normal.
Whisk in the remaining ingredients and return the pan to medium-low heat for about 4 minutes, whisking frequently to dissolve any clumps that may have formed. Remove from heat, set aside and allow to cool. Caramel will thicken as it cools.
the peach filling:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8”x 9” high-lipped baking dish.
To peel the peaches, cut a small X on the bottom of the peaches. Blanche the peaches by submerging in hot, simmering water, then plunging in ice water. The peels will peel off quite easily! Combine the peaches, flour, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Gently toss until peaches are thoroughly coated.
Spread the peaches evenly into the prepared baking dish. Set aside.
the pecan topping:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, salt and pecans until thoroughly combined. Add the butter and, using a rubber spatula, break the butter up into the pecan mixture until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the peaches in the prepared baking dish. Press down lightly.
Bake the crisp until the pecan topping is golden-brown and the peach juices are bubbling around the edges, 35-40 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Serve portions warm with a scoop of dulce de leche ice cream. Drizzle the maple bourbon caramel over the top and sprinkle about a tablespoon of candied bacon on top. Now, get ready to indulge like you’ve never done before! YUM!!
Notes
pairings:
coffee: Caramel Macchiato
beverage: tall, chilly Arnold Palmer made with Tazo Giant Peach tea + Hubert’s Lemonade
musical: Boys Wanna Be Her – Peaches
- Prep Time: 1 hour + 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: dessert diablery, kid approved juju
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: peach pecan crisp dessert, candied bacon, dulce de leche ice cream, bourbon caramel sauce
