I had a successful second run at the recipe this weekend at my parents' house, with the variation that we substituted some of the peaches with my dad's favorite, blackberries. Both versions were pretty awesome, especially when served warm with a little vanilla or butter pecan ice cream.
PEACH or PEACH-BLACKBERRY "CROMBLER"
2 lbs. peaches (about 4-5) OR 1+ lbs peaches (2-3) plus 1 pt blackberries
1/4 c. maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. almond meal, divided
2 T butter or butter substitute, plus additional for greasing
1/4 c. sweet rice flour
1/2 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
Optional: pecans, walnuts or almonds, chopped into small pieces
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8"x10" glass baking dish and set aside.
Peel and slice peaches into a mixing bowl. Add blackberries, if using. Stir in maple syrup, vanilla and 1/2 c. almond meal. Pour mixture into baking dish and spread into an even, shallow layer. If using nuts, sprinkle a thin layer over the fruit. (I didn't measure these, but I'm guessing about 1/4 to 1/2 c.?)
In a small bowl, combine the other 1/2 c. almond meal and the sweet rice flour. Add butter (or substitute) and pinch it in with your fingertips to form a coarse meal. Add brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon and salt and mix well, using the same pinching motion. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit layer.
Bake 40 minutes, or until thoroughly bubbly. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving. A scoop of ice cream is a very nice addition.
