Skillet Peach and Mango Crisp

Fruit crisps are wonderful desserts when you have a kitchen full of in-season fruits. There are many different variations on a classic crisp out there to choose from, including cobblers, buckles and grunts. A basic crisp has a streusel-like topping over a base of sweetened fresh fruit. They’re faster and easier to make than fruit pies, but no crisp is as quick as this Skillet Peach and Mango Crisp, which is made entirely on the stovetop in just a few minutes. First, the topping is cooked until it is golden brown and fragrant. It is set aside while the filling – made with fresh peaches and mangoes – is cooked. The topping is a delicious streusel made with ground almonds (almond meal/flour) and ginger. It has just the right touch of spice to compliment the fruit, without stealing the show. The streusel is simply added to the cooked fruit before serving.

These two fruits are a great choice for a skillet crisp because they cook very quickly, and that means that this dish can be made – start to finish – even on a busy weeknight. I like using mangoes and peaches together because they have similar flavor profiles. Both fruits are sweet and floral, and those lovely floral notes come out even more when they are combined. I recommend starting with fresh fruit, rather than frozen fruit, in this particular crisp because both frozen mangoes and frozen peaches can and will break down quickly on the stovetop, giving you a lot less texture in the finished crisp  than you might have hoped for. That being said, the crisp can still be delicious if made with frozen fruit – the fruit will just be a bit less structured after cooking!

I find that this dish makes four generous servings. If you are planning to serve it with vanilla ice cream – and it pairs extremely well with vanilla ice cream – you can break it down into six servings very easily. The topping is so generous that you might have a bit leftover. If you do, you can throw it into a batch of Coffee Cake Pancakes or sprinkle it over fresh fruit for breakfast, as it is delicious even without the fruit filling beneath it.

Skillet Peach and Mango Crisp
Topping
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Filling
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
16-oz ripe peeled mango, sliced
12-oz (approx 3 medium) peeled ripe peaches, sliced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract

Make the topping. In a medium bowl, , whisk together flour, ground almonds, sugar, brown sugar, salt and spice until well-blended. Add in melted butter and vanilla extract, then stir with a fork until the mixture resembles wet sand and the butter is completely incorporated.
Pour topping into an 8 or 10-inch skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the mixture begins to brown, 3-4 minutes. When it starts to brown, stir slowly but constantly until mixture is well-toasted, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Make the filling. In a small bowl, combine sugar and 1 tbsp cornstarch and set aside.
In the same skillet you used to prepare the topping, combine lemon juice, mangoes and peaches and cook over medium heat until the juices from the fruit are released, about 5-6 minutes. If your mangoes are extremely ripe, add in your peaches first because they may take slightly longer to cool. If using frozen fruit, heat until cooked-through.
Stir in cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Top with topping mixture and serve.

Serves 4-6