Ridiculously Easy Peach Crumble

This incredibly, addictively delicious dessert was SO easy in so many ways, it almost doesn't seem fair. The recipe itself almost doesn't require a bowl, a mixer or even a spoon. The lovely picture above was definitely the easiest one I've ever posted (more on that later). And here's how scrumptious it is: the Southern husband, who is usually not a big dessert person and pretty much the only one I know who can eat ONE fresh-baked chocolate chip cookie at time took a bite of this as it was cooling on the counter. And another. And another. By the time it actually came time to serve the thing as an official dessert, I would say about a third of it had been nibbled away.

Yep, it's that good. No exaggeration. Now get ready for how easy it is.

You take one of those big 28 ounce jars of sliced peaches in light syrup. Dump the whole thing in a 13x9 inch pan, syrup and all. Now take a box of yellow cake mix. Pour the mix evenly over the peaches. Yes, the dry mix, you don't make it into cake batter first...dry mix only. Trust me.

Now take a stick of butter. (I said this was easy, I didn't say it was slenderizing.). Slice it up into about 16 pats and arranged them evenly on the top of the cake mix. Next, pour a cup of brown sugar on top, and a half cup of walnuts on top of that.

Bake it for 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Let it cool just long enough to not burn your tongue when you take that first spoonful, and then enjoy it plain or with vanilla ice cream...that is, if you can keep the hungry masses at bay long enough to have a reasonable amount left in the pan to actually HAVE it for dessert. I know, you are thinking where is the liquid, and why won't I just have hot dry cake mix at the end of the baking time, but I guess there is something about the butter and the peach syrup that somehow magically blends with the cake mix to produce peach heaven. I'm not going to think too hard about it so I don't jinx it.

Now about that picture. Two things happened to produce that delicious shot up there. First of all, I actually split this dessert into two 8x8 pans, since I knew my friend and Zen Master photography teacher was coming to visit on the day I made it, and so I sent the other half home with him. I fully intended to photograph a piece of MY portion of the cake after dinner, but see above regarding the cake nibbling that went on before dessert...I didn't have any left.

Then inspiration hit, and I sent an urgent message to the Zen Master, who had the restraint not to eat all of his portion in one sitting. Voila! The easiest picture I have ever created for this blog - it only took one quick email! It all seems too good to be true...but I'll take it!

So there you have it, the easiest dessert you will ever make, with thanks once again to the amazing Bakerella where I found this recipe - go visit her site if you haven't already. Everything on there is just scrumptious.

RIDICULOUSLY EASY PEACH CRUMBLE, from Bakerella

One 25 ounce jar of peaches in light syrup
1 package yellow cake mix
1 stick butter, cut into 16 pieces
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Layer ingredients in 13/9 inch pan in the order listed above.

3. Bake for 40 minutes

4. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Or eat it with a spoon right out of the baking dish.

Click here for printable recipe