Iain Bagwell
You know those sweet, drippy peaches you dream about all year? When you’ve had your fill standing over the sink, bake up the rest with dark brown sugar, booze, and a tender topping. And if you see them in late summer, try the recipe with O’Henry peaches: Firm yet satiny, they have a perfect sweet-acid balance and freestone flesh, meaning they’re a cinch to pit.
Preheat oven to 375° (350° if using a glass baking dish). Make filling: Immerse a few peaches at a time in a saucepan of boiling water until skin loosens easily with a knife tip, 15 to 30 seconds. Peel fruit.
In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, and tapioca. Stir in lemon juice and bourbon. Cut peaches into 1/2-in.-wide wedges to make 6 1/2 cups. Stir peaches into bourbon mixture and let stand 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, for tapioca to begin to soften.
Meanwhile, make topping: Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In a food processor, whirl almond paste and granulated sugar to break up. Add butter; whirl until no lumps remain, scraping bowl. Add egg, milk, and flour mixture and pulse just until blended. Transfer to bowl used for flour.
Scrape fruit mixture into a 10-in. cast-iron skillet (2 in. deep) or an 8-in. square baking dish. Drop batter in 8 large spoonfuls over fruit and scatter all over with almonds.
Bake until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes (50 minutes for a glass dish). Let cool on a rack at least 30 minutes.
Servings 0
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.