Desserts that incorporate fruit are a win-win. Have you ever heard of anyone turn down apple pie, blueberry crumble, raspberry tart? Look at it this way, such dishes are not only juicy and flavorful, but they also promise to make you feel a bit better about yourself due to the fact that they incorporate more than one food group (even if it is just a few sliced strawberries on top of a dish—it still counts.)

Peach crumble slab pie is a prime example of a recipe which serves as ideal comfort food and also includes some nutritious value into the mix. Moreover, this recipe can even get away with being served for breakfast, which isn’t such a bad way to start off your day.

If you can’t decide whether you’re more in the mood for a pie or crumble, peach crumble slab pie is the perfect solution. Together, the flaky crust and sugary crumble top make a perfect foundation for fresh peaches topped with a cinnamon spice mix.

Moreover, the recipe produces a substantial portion that will feed a hungry crowd, relieving the fear of having to settle for minuscule portions. While served best at the peak of peach season, this dish is just as delicious when made with plums, blueberries, cherries or sweet pears.

Peach crumble slab pies are best baked in a shallow pan, particularly a 9-x-13 inch baking dish. The taller the sides of the pan, the deeper the pie (this means more room to stuff in crucial ingredients).

The best way to go about this recipe is preparation. Start by making your pie dough and crumble first so you can store them in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the dish. For the crust, hunt down a food processor to integrate the flour and salt. Next, add butter into the processor for around 6-8 “1 second pulses,” or until the mixture transforms into small pea-sized pieces. After reaching this consistency, gradually add 1 tablespoon of ice water so that the mixture becomes moist enough to stay together. Lastly, combine the dough pieces into one large ball which at last, should be wrapped in plastic, flattened into a disk and refrigerated for at least 1 hour.

Following this procedure, use a rolling pin (lightly floored) and roll out the dough into approximately a 11-x-15 inch rectangle. If the dough feels sticky, dust it with flour as needed. Once rolled out completely, fold the dough in half so it can be transported into the 9-x-13 inch baking dish. With your hands, press the curst into the bottom of the pan and be sure to completely cover the edges so that is equally distributed to the top of the pan. Lastly, return the crust back to the refrigerator in its baking dish so you can begin to prepare the filling and crumble topping.

The filling will require a large bowl containing peaches, sugar, tapioca, lemon zest, juice, nutmeg, vanilla and salt. Let this combination sit together for 20-30 minutes after being tossed around and feel free to add a bit more sugar if need be. As you allow the ingredients to sit, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

As the oven heats up, it is time to conduct the final step: the crumble topping. Mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt and add butter  with your fingertips until the group of ingredients is completely mixed together in moist clumps.

Lastly, spoon the prepared filling into the crust and top it off with your homemade crumble. On the lowest rack in your oven, bake the slab pie for 15 minutes and then reduce the heat to 375 degrees.

Once the temperature has gone down, switch the baking sheet to the center rack of the oven where the pie will continue to bake for about an hour, or until it appears golden brown and bubbling.  At last, transport your baking dish to a wire rack so it can cool before handed out.

The Recipe

Crust:

2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon of sea salt

2 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)

4 to 6 tablespoons of ice water

Filling:

6 pounds of ripe peaches (or whatever fruit you chose to bake with)

1 1/4 cups of light brown sugar

1/3 cup of instant tapioca

Zest of 3 lemons

3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons of grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of sea salt

Crumble Topping:

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

1 cup of dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons of ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter (cubed)