Photo: Leigh Loftus
Today was the first really hot day Chicago has had since I’ve lived here. Every time I’ve had a conversation with anyone – from good friends and coworkers to hairdressers and grocery clerks – about being new to the city, they’ve all said the same thing: “if you think you like Chicago now, just wait until the summer. Then, you’ll really fall for it.”
I’m not loathe to admit that Fall is my favorite season. You can still wear dresses or go jacket-less in favor of a light sweater but suddenly there’s a comforting chill in the air, leaves start to morph into beautiful colors and the sweaty stickiness that coats us during August suddenly disappears as quickly as it came.
Among the things I do love about summer, however, are eating and drinking on restaurant patios (or friends’ patios…hint, hint anyone who has a patio), the smell of suntan lotion, cotton summer dresses, laying poolside and, yes, you had to know where I was taking this one: summer desserts.
I’m an ice cream fiend, I eat it year round. So I can hardly classify ice cream as a dessert meant specifically for summer. Fruit pies, crisps and cobblers, though? A delicious fruit crisp signifies summer’s beginning more than Memorial Day.
Photo: Leigh Loftus
- 2½ cups blueberries
- 1½ cups sliced peaches
- 1 Tablespoon corn starch
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup quick oats
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup shortbread cookies, crushed (I used ginger shortbread cookies)
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- In a bowl, combine blueberries, sliced peaches, corn starch, lemon juice and granulated sugar. Mix to combine evenly. Pour into a lightly buttered 9" glass pie dish.
- In the same bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, oats, shortbread/ginger cookies, and almonds. Stir with a fork until mixture is crumbly and evenly blended. Spread the mixture over the berries and bake 375 degrees F for 40 minutes. Let cool before serving and top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
31 Comments
grace
May 31, 2010 at 3:17 pmfor the longest time, my favorite summer dessert was strawberry shortcake. then i had blueberry shortcake, and everything changed. 🙂
i love the ginger cookies atop your crisp–great touch!
A Cajun Down Under
May 26, 2010 at 12:37 amThis looks fantastic. Can’t wait to try it!
My favorite summer dessert is berry cobbler. I’ll make it with whatever berries are fresh and available. But, truthfully, I make it all year round using frozen berries in the colder months.
Alanna
May 25, 2010 at 11:26 pmMy favorite is homemade ice cream. Or ANYthing with rhubarb. Or peaches. Or apricots. But most of all, Minnesota blueberries. 😉
runnerforever
May 25, 2010 at 9:23 pmOh yum, looks divine!
Sarah (Frontier Kitchen)
May 25, 2010 at 4:26 pmI love fruit crisps! I just made some mini blueberry cheesecakes with a gingersnap crust and loved the flavor combination so I’ll have to give this recipe a try too. Thanks!
Kate (Little Beach Bum)
May 25, 2010 at 11:56 amHey Maris – thanks for stopping by! Summer has already been here in Florida for weeks – now I’m just concentrating on not melting to death! 🙂 Your blog looks ah-mazing…I can’t wait to check out and try some of your recipes – this ginger crust topping looks like a good place to start!
Megan (Best of Fates)
May 25, 2010 at 9:46 amOoh – anything crisp and I’m in.
mandy
May 25, 2010 at 9:08 amI tweeted! http://twitter.com/mariscalla/status/14646299849
Sues
May 25, 2010 at 8:24 amI LOVE summer pies! But this dessert looks absolutely lovely. I’m obsessed with anything ginger and have a feeling it would be amazing with blueberry and peach. It looks so beautiful too 🙂
Paige
May 24, 2010 at 11:38 pmOh strawberry rhubarb pie by far! Can’t get enough and it is totally amazing in a gingersnap crust.
mandy
May 24, 2010 at 7:32 pmI am a fan of any cobbler. Blueberry is my favorite. I have a go to Blueberry cobbler that I make as soon my grandfathers blueberry bushes are full of ripe blueberries.
heather @ chiknpastry
May 24, 2010 at 6:46 pmsounds great. i still have some blueberries in the freezer from last summer, but no peaches yet! yum!
favorite summer dessert? wow, that’s tough. i do love a good rhubarb crisp 🙂
Zabrina
February 15, 2012 at 11:34 pmIt’s great to find an expert who can explain tihgns so well
DessertForTwo
May 24, 2010 at 5:52 pmYou’re such a tease! Our peaches won’t be ripe for a few more weeks! I bookmarked your recipe and I can’t wait to make it!
I don’t think someone who has a dessert blog can pick a favorite dessert. But if I narrow it down to just summer desserts, I would have to say angel food cake with berries soaked in orange liquor topped with a scoop of lemon sorbet.
Lisa
May 24, 2010 at 5:36 pmI love that you topped it with a ginger topping. That sounds delicious.
My favorite summer dessert is strawberry shortcake, made with biscuits and fresh strawberries. Thanks for the giveaway!
prerna gupta
May 24, 2010 at 5:35 pmMy favorite dessert is mostly anything with fruit like tarts,pie and cobblers.
Lexi
May 24, 2010 at 4:55 pmI am also a fan of IGT on facebook!
Lexi
May 24, 2010 at 4:52 pmHere’s my tweet-
lexilooo @mariscalla um, yum! giveaway! http://ingoodtasteblog.net/in_good_taste/2010/05/blueberrypeach-crisp-with-ginger-cookie-crust.html
Lexi
May 24, 2010 at 4:51 pmYUM! This looks so good! My favorite summer desert is strawberry shortcake, for sure!
Jenn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog)
May 24, 2010 at 4:51 pmMy favorite summer dessert is soft serve ice cream.
I Tweeted this giveaway: http://www.twitter.com/j3nndotnet
Jenn
Maria
May 24, 2010 at 4:47 pmFabulous summer dessert! I love sorbet and gelato!
Katie@Cozydelicious
May 24, 2010 at 4:11 pmYum! This looks wonderful. Ginger and peaches totally belong together.
I love fruity summer desserts… and my favorite to make is fresh berry tartlettes. But to eat, my favorite will always be mixed berry shortcake. With plenty of just slightly whipped cream.
Juliana
May 24, 2010 at 3:15 pmWow, nice combination…love the idea of the ginger cookie on top 🙂
Alisa-Foodista
May 24, 2010 at 2:03 pmMy favorite summer treat has to be sorbet and ice cream. Your blueberry peach crisp looks real good! I love your recipes here!
Joanne
May 24, 2010 at 1:41 pmI agree with you that ice cream should be a year round treat but there’s definitely something much more satisfying about eating it on a really hot day! My favorite summer dessert has to be some kind of berry pie…strawberry rhubarb maybe. Your crisp looks absolutely delicious! I made a blueberry peach pie last year that I loved…such a great flavor combination.
Awesome giveaway!
Beth @ 990 Square
May 24, 2010 at 1:00 pmHow could I pick just one summer dessert to have as my favorite? I love everything with fresh fruit!
This looks wonderful–blueberries and peaches are a combination I’ve never tried together.
Daryl
May 24, 2010 at 12:43 pmMy favorite summer dessert is strawberry shortcake. The kind made with biscuits.
kat
May 24, 2010 at 10:21 amI think a good homemade ice cream or gelato is my favorite summer dessert
Nichole
May 24, 2010 at 8:54 amMy favorite summer dessert, it’s so hard to pick one!Typically it’s anything with blackberries. But, nothing really says summer to me like fresh Strawberry Shortcake. The fact that it is super simple to make doesn’t hurt:)
Lisa
May 24, 2010 at 5:58 amP.S. My Twitter is LisaAtHome1
Lisa
May 24, 2010 at 5:56 amMy favorite summer dessert has to be key lime pie or blueberry cobbler. YUM!! (And I entered my additional entries too! just so you know 🙂 )