My Treasure Box of Experiences

You know how, when you visit a place, you always bring home a few special memories that stay with you long after the trip is over?

This visit to my friends in South Florida happened to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Witnessing the celebrations was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but the memories I will tuck away in my Treasure Box of experiences are of a different kind.

I’ll remember the little discoveries we made around the neighborhood. The wonderful honey we bought from a neighbor who keeps beehives. Visiting another neighbor’s mango orchard and seeing, for the first time, how mangoes grow. They hang from long stems on the branches, almost like Christmas ornaments.

I also had no idea there were so many varieties of mangoes. We came home with a bag full of them, and my friend made us mango ice cream. She blended ripe mangoes with half-and-half, added a dash of cinnamon, a little vanilla, and some honey, then poured the mixture into the ice cream maker.

The result was absolutely delicious, and one of those simple summer treats that make memories sweet.

Last but not least were the roadside stalls selling peaches from Georgia. They reminded me so much of summers in Bulgaria and our family trips to the Black Sea. Along the roads, there would always be little stalls selling fruit from nearby orchards. We would stop to buy some and enjoy the sweet, juicy fruit along the way.

We did the same here in Florida. Chilled peaches on a hot summer afternoon tasted absolutely divine. They also inspired me to make my very first gluten-free peach cobbler. Since my friend can’t eat wheat, I replaced the flour with almond flour and was so pleased with the result that I decided to share the recipe here.

It’s well worth trying, even if you don’t follow a gluten-free diet.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 5-6 medium ripe peaches, sliced (about 5 cups)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1–2 tbsp maple syrup or honey, optional (or erythritol if you want less carbs)
• 1 tbsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch, optional, for a thicker filling
• 1 ½ cups almond flour
• ¼ cup sliced or chopped almonds, optional, for extra crunch
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp melted butter, ghee, or coconut oil
• 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey, optional
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175°C/350°F . Lightly butter or oil a small baking dish, about 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 inches.)
2. Place the sliced peaches in the dish. Add the lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and optional maple syrup or honey. Sprinkle in the arrowroot or cornstarch if you would like a thicker, less juicy filling. Gently toss everything together.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the almond flour, almonds, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the melted butter or oil, vanilla, and optional sweetener. The mixture should be crumbly but hold together slightly when pressed between your fingers.
4. Scatter the almond-flour topping over the peaches. It does not need to cover every bit of fruit; a few peaches peeking through look lovely.
5. Scatter the almond-flour topping over the peaches. It does not need to cover every bit of fruit; a few peaches peeking through look lovely.
6. Let it rest for 10–15 minutes before serving so the peach juices settle.

Notes