Because this here – Caramelized Peach + White Chocolate Oatmeal Skillet Cookie Pie – is so completely out of my comfort zone. It’s completely sweet, but has nothing to do with chocolate (well at least not semi sweet or dark anyway) and is full of fruit. If you have been reading for any amount of time than you know I am all about chocolate. Especially chocolate that has nothing to do with fruit. I just do not like that combo (unless bananas, dates or maybe, maybe a caramel apple). Things with fruit and white chocolate as the stars are just a foreign concept to me. Sure, I have made some fruit desserts that I love. I mean, I still dream about this crumble, this pie, this dump bake and these caramel apples (LOVE THESE). Normally though, when it comes to dessert I really just stick to chocolate. I pretty much have zero interest in venturing outside my little chocolate dessert bubble. I know, so totally lame. On occasion though, I want to do something different and that is when recipes like this one happen. And you know what? Every time they do happen I wonder why I don’t make non-chocolate sweet things more often. Hopefully, I am beginning to see the light. Probably not, but I am hopeful.
Right now is a weird time. We are at the end of summer when all the fruits and vegetables are at their best. But it’s also that time when people begin to think about fall. Fall baking, cozy foods and pumpkin everything. This in-between period can be kind of hard for me in deciding what to make. Summer fruit or cozy fall chocolate? For now I am sticking with summer. I am nowhere near ready for pumpkin anything yet. Check back with me a few weeks into September and… pretty sure I will be more than ready for pumpkin by then. Currently, I am all about eating up every last bit of summer. Like give me all the berries, all the stone fruits, all the melons, all the tomatoes, corn, zucchini and everything in-between. This means today is peach day! Well, actually I kind of used a mix of nectarines and peaches since I had both on hand and also love nectarines. You can use either one, or do what I did and just use both. This skillet cookie/pie you see here, was actually inspired by anther favorite dessert I made last fall. That cookie involved chocolate, caramel and apples and I loved it so much. I have been dying to do another skillet cookie ever since, so I thought why not try one with peaches. This time I made it more pie-like with peaches on the bottom an cookie on the top. I was going to put cookie on the bottom too, but then I realized that would mean having to scoop out the caramelized peaches from the skillet and onto a plate. I know this seems like no big deal, but it was just not an extra step I wanted to take. Things that are all warm and caramely should just stay put. It’s easier that way. Trust me. WATCH THE HOW-TO VIDEO:
So the peaches stay on the bottom in the sweet self made caramel sauce and the oatmeal cookie studded with white chocolate gets baked right on top. I guess it is kind of like a cookie crumble, but I liked the sound of pie. Pie aways sounds pretty delicious.
In true Gerard family fashion, I just added a heck of a lot of sweet vanilla ice cream (an absolute must with this), handed everyone some spoons and said dig in. Who needs bowls? It just means more dishes to wash anyway, and we all know that eating a warm cookie straight from its baking dish is better than anything. This dish is perfect for these late summer days that can sometimes have a little bit of a chill to them. It’s the perfect mix of hot cookie and cold ice cream.
It’s crazy easy, crazy delicious and all you have to do is make it. Ok, you obviously do not HAVE to, but I really hope you will.
Seriously? And on a Tuesday? Oh wait, they’re whole wheat. Yes. Let’s get our spoons already…