Name: Peach Brown Betty
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Ingredients: 4 slices hearty white sandwich bread , torn into pieces; 5 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled; 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 3 1/2 pounds (1.59 kilograms) peaches , peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges (see note); 1/3 cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) granulated sugar; 1/3 cup packed (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) light brown sugar; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/8 teaspoon salt

Why This Recipe Works

Precooking the peaches for our Peach Brown Betty recipe both deepened their flavor and evaporated their juices, preventing the betty from becoming soup. Adding melted butter to fresh bread crumbs made for a topping that wasn’t quite crisp. Switching to cold butter created a fluffy, super-crisp topping. A little lemon juice brightened up the betty, while a bit of vanilla extract brought out the flavor of the peaches.

Merely coating the cooked peaches with bread crumbs and sliding the skillet into the oven left us with a sodden coating. Mixing some bread crumbs in with the fruit sopped up some of the juices that hadn’t evaporated.

Before You Begin

You can substitute 3 pounds of thawed and drained frozen sliced peaches for fresh peaches. if you don't own an oven-safe skillet, transfer the peach filling to a 2-quart baking dish at the end of step 2 and continue with the recipe as directed.

Instructions

PULSE TOPPING Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Pulse bread and butter in food processor until coarsely ground. Set aside. Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl.

COOK PEACHES Melt butter in large nonstick ovensafe skillet over medium-high heat. Cook peaches, stirring occasionally, until they begin to caramelize, 8 to 12 minutes. Off heat, stir in 1 cup crumb mixture, sugars, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt.

TOP AND BAKE Top peach mixture with remaining crumbs. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake until topping is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Serve warm.