Bake Rye Plum Crisp For A Summer Evening Treat

I run a blog called A Cozy Kitchen so by default I despise summer. In a perfect world, I'd be drinking hot chocolate, wearing scarves, watching leaves fall and, well, being cozy. Ironically, I live in Los Angeles, which might be the sunniest city in the country. My relationship with summer is usually complicated; but this year I've felt so inspired to make all sorts of things. The summer produce has driven me to want to make so many things that I'm actually running out of time.

Summer is the season of the lazy dessert. When I'm feeling slow-moving, I turn to a crisp--it's a sure-fire win. There's butter and fruit and sugar and salt. Those combinations are like Christmas morning to me. They make it so difficult to mess up.

Plums are in abundance right now and the variety of plums make me so happy. I grew up only eating what I've now learned are Santa Rosas, but this crisp utilizes three: Mirabelle Plums, Santa Rosas and Victorias. Plums ideally will be firm yet give a bit when you press them. If you can't find all three varieties, just pick one; it'll do.

This crisp is best served warm with vanilla ice cream. The hot and cold combination is sublime. The rye flakes provide a nuttiness I think works so well with tart, sweet fruit, but if you can't find them, feel free to use all-purpose flour and oat flakes. This is all about being in a no-stress zone.

Adrianna Adarme is a food blogger and author living in Los Angeles, California. She writes the blog A Cozy Kitchen, where she shares comforting, everyday recipes from her kitchen. She recently authored her first cookbook, PANCAKES: 72 Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Perfect Stack. She's a lover of breakfast, pie (and sometimes even pie for breakfast), corgis and cute things. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.