Nectarine-Plum Crisp

Photos by Molly Decoudreaux

You can only get terrific stone fruits—peaches, plums, and nectarines, for example—well into summer, during peak growing season.

We eagerly buy bagfuls, knowing they’ll get devoured fresh, be transformed into the most delicious jams, and make their way into baked goods that just scream summer—like this Nectarine-Plum Crisp! The simple crisp topping provides a great contrast for the juices of summer. Serve it hot or cold, alone or with a dollop of whipped cream. Just enjoy it while you can.

• Nectarines, about 3 large
  

• Plums or pluots, 2 or 3 large plums, or as many as 8 to 10 small ones (any juicy variety; not the Italian prune plums)
  

• Granulated sugar, ½ c.
  

• All-purpose flour, ¾ c.
  

• Light brown sugar, ½ c. packed
  

• Salt, ½ tsp.
  

• Butter, 6 tbsp. unsalted, cold, and cut into small pieces
  

• Quick-cooking oats, ¾ c. (or substitute whole rolled oats; see Tips)
  

• Pecans, ½ c., chopped (or substitute walnuts)
  

Instructions:

1. Prep the fruit: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the nectarines and plums into ⅓-inch-thick slices. They don’t have to be pretty or perfect, so just cut around the pit if it’s not a freestone (a variety whose fruit pulls right off the pit neatly). You should have about 5 cups total. We prefer slightly more nectarines than plums, but use what you’ve got! Place them in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle ¼ cup of the granulated sugar over them, tossing to coat. Dump into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and set aside.
2. Make the topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, the remaining ¼ cup sugar, and salt until combined. Add the cold butter and use your fingers to coat the butter in the flour. Then, pinch little pieces of the butter between your fingertips, creating flour-coated bits that resemble dry oatmeal. Add the oats and pecans and rub it all together to combine.
3. Top the crisp: Sprinkle the topping over the prepared fruit. You want it to be at least a bit clumpy, so if it is completely loose and sandy, take some small handfuls and squeeze them together to form some little clumps.
4. Bake it: Set the baking dish on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet in order to catch any drippy juices, then bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until it is golden brown on top and has been bubbling around the edges for at least 5 minutes.

Tips: A food processor is a perfect tool for crisp topping, and it’s especially ideal if you’re using rolled oats instead of quick oats. Blitzing rolled oats in a food processor a few times will enable them to crisp up more quickly, like quick oats. It will also make quick work of cutting in the butter, turning it into perfect-size bits for the topping. Simply complete step 2 in a food processor, and if you use rolled oats, be sure to give it all a few extra pulses at the end.

© (Serious) New Cook by Leah Su Quiroga and Cammie Kim Lin, Rizzoli New York, 2022. All photography ©Molly DeCoudreaux