Baked Nectarines with Cinnamon-Almond Streusel
Warm baked summer fruit is irresistible when topped with a crumbly, buttery almond streusel topping. Substitute peaches or plums as you wish. For a delightful contrast in temperature, serve the warm nectarines with frozen yogurt or a drizzle of cold heavy cream.
Ingredients:
- 3 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut in pieces, plus more for buttering dish
- 4 firm nectarines or peaches
- 6 Tbs. all-purpose flour
- 6 Tbs. firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 400°F. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Cut the nectarines in half and remove the pits. Cut a thin slice off the round side of each half and arrange, pit side up, in the prepared dish.
In a bowl or a food processor, stir or whirl together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Cut in the butter pieces with a pastry cutter or 2 knives, or pulse in the food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the almonds. Squeeze the streusel mixture into small handfuls and distribute it evenly over the cut sides of the nectarine halves, pressing lightly so the streusel adheres.
Bake until the nectarines are tender and the streusel is browned, about 20 minutes. Serve warm. Serves 4.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Eat Well, by Charity Ferreira (Oxmoor House, 2008).