Name: Toaster-Oven Individual Peach Crisps
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons granulated sugar , divided; 1 teaspoon lemon juice; ¼ teaspoon cornstarch; ⅛ teaspoon table salt , divided; 1 pound (454 grams) frozen peaches , thawed; ⅓ cup whole almonds or pecans, chopped fine; ¼ cup (1¼ ounces/35 grams) all-purpose flour; 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar; ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon; Pinch ground nutmeg; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled

Why This Recipe Works

We began by simply substituting peaches for apples in the classic American dessert, but that turned out to be a recipe for disaster: Peaches exude so much moisture that the traditional crisp topping sunk into the filling. To compensate for all the liquid released by the peaches, we added a slurry of cornstarch and lemon juice, which helped thicken the mixture while brightening its flavor. We also developed an extra-sturdy topping: Melting the butter helped bind the flour to the other ingredients, and a generous amount of nuts guaranteed a thick, crunchy crust.

Before You Begin

This recipe uses two 12-ounce ramekins; you can also assemble the crisp in a single 3-cup oven-safe casserole or soufflé dish and increase the baking time to 35 to 40 minutes.

Instructions

Adjust toaster oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and pinch salt in medium bowl. Gently toss peaches with sugar mixture and divide evenly between two 12-ounce ramekins.

Combine almonds, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, remaining pinch salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in now-empty bowl. Drizzle with melted butter and toss with fork until evenly moistened and mixture forms large chunks with some pea-size pieces throughout. Sprinkle topping evenly over peaches, breaking up any large chunks.

Place ramekins on aluminum foil–lined small rimmed baking sheet and bake until filling is bubbling around edges and topping is deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let crisps cool on wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.