Skip the oven with these saucy skillet peaches and maple pecans

Washington Post

4 days ago

Two things I strive for in the thick of summer: Always have a supply of perfectly ripe peaches, and never turn on my oven. Peaches are one of the season's purest joys — a quenching snack at the beach; summery sunshine over breakfast cottage cheese or yogurt; sweet juiciness in a savory salad; and a star of numerous desserts. This recipe treats peak-season peaches to an alluring pie-filling vibe and a sweet, crunchy topping without infringing on my temporary oven-free lifestyle.
Get the recipe: Skillet Peaches With Maple Pecans
To make the candied pecan topping, warm the nuts in a skillet with maple syrup, cinnamon and a touch of salt until they are toasted and glossy with the thickened, caramelized syrup. They become irresistibly crunchy as they cool, and make a wonderful addition to salads and cheese boards, so you might want to double the batch.
For the peaches, toss the sliced fruit with a little maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. (You don't need to peel the peaches first — I personally enjoy the texture of the skins in this dish — but feel free to blanch them first and then peel them, if you prefer.) Simmer the seasoned peaches with a touch of butter, in the same skillet used for the nuts, until the fruit yields to the heat, becomes soft and silky, and releases its juices to create a lovely sauce.
The peaches, along with their sauce, are topped with the candied pecans and are delicious simply served together. But if you add a dollop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, the dessert becomes sublime. Light and healthful, easily made in one pan without heating up the kitchen, and featuring stellar seasonal fruit, it's a low-effort treat that gets to the very heart of summer.
Get the recipe: Skillet Peaches With Maple Pecans