Recipe: Eclipse Restaurant's Peach Streusel

Grilled peaches with vanilla ice cream is a classic late-summer combo, but add a well-spiced cap of streusel and bake it till it’s bubbly, as pastry chef Clair Robberson does at Eclipse, and suddenly a summer staple is fit for fall. Even better, Robberson’s use of a touch of rosemary and a hint of ginger make this simple dessert a stunner for any season.

Peach Streusel
Courtesy of Eclipse Restaurant’s Claire Robberson
6 servings

¾ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup cornmeal
½ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup quick-cooking oats
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. fresh ginger
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ cup vegetable shortening or margarine
1 cup hazelnuts, chopped
6 ripe peaches
1 to 2 sprigs rosemary
Vanilla ice cream*

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a grill to medium heat.

• In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, cornmeal, flour, oats, spices, ginger and salt and mix well.

• Using a pastry blender, cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture loosely holds together.  

• Stir in the chopped hazelnuts and refrigerate until needed.  

• Slice the peaches in half and remove the pit. 

• Grill the peaches cut-side down until they just start to caramelize. Remove them from the grill and place in a bowl with the rosemary. Cover with plastic wrap until cool to the touch. 

• Slice the peaches and divide between 6 deep ramekins or soup cups.

• Top each ramekin with the streusel topping and bake for about 20 minutes or until bubbling.  

• Serve warm with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream.

* At Eclipse, Robberson serves her peach streusel with a vegan banana-vanilla bean ice cream, pictured here. To make this dessert vegan at home, use a soy-based vanilla ice cream.