1- Slow Cooker Peach Crumble

This modified Alton Brown recipe (adapted from one on the Food Network site, using fresh peaches) is a crumble at heart, with oats, brown sugar, flour, and butter. Mixing the topping with the peaches and simmering gently in the slow cooker, rather than baking, yields something rustic and relaxed, with an almost caramelized complexity.

In a different era, this could have had a romanticized life on a ranch, simmered in a Dutch oven over a campfire, a special treat after a long day’s work. Serve with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Game plan: You can substitute nectarines for the peaches in this recipe.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cups dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), at room temperature, plus extra for coating the slow cooker
• 2 pounds ripe but firm peaches (about 5 medium peaches), halved, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

Instructions

1 ) Completely coat the bottom and sides of the slow cooker with butter; set aside. Place the brown sugar, oats, flour, baking powder, spices, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.

2 ) Add the measured butter and toss with your fingers until well coated in the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until reduced to pea-size pieces and the mixture looks crumbly, about 2 to 3 minutes.

3 ) Add the peach slices and mix until well combined. Add to the slow cooker, making sure the mixture is evenly spread out.

4 ) Cook on low until the peaches are tender and the crumble mixture is brown, about 3 hours. Scoop into serving bowls, along with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if so desired.

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