A Baker’s Story • Try an amazing

allery Lomas’s new cookbook, Life Is What V You Bake It, is the culmination of a lifetime spent in the kitchen with family. Both of her grandmothers were known for their incredible cakes, and her mom is an accomplished home baker who often helps Vallery test recipes. A few of those creations have appeared on Vallery’s blog, foodieinnewyork.com, but the lawyer turned baker held out on sharing some of her best recipes— until now. “I knew deep down I wanted to write a book that was a cohesive story of food and my life,” she says. Recipes tied to her Louisiana roots, like king cake and this peach crisp, appear alongside ones for French dishes like quiche and crêpes, inspired by her time studying in Paris. “I love that I get to share why these recipes are so important to me,” she says. —Erica Finamore

Find more tasty treats in Vallery’s book Life Is What You Bake It ($30, Clarkson Potter).

Leave the skins on the peaches! It’s a rustic dish and this cuts down on prep time.

COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY VALLERY LOMAS. REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM LIFE IS WHAT YOU BAKE IT. PHOTOGRAPHS COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY LINDA XIAO. PUBLISHED BY CLARKSON POTTER, AN IMPRINT OF RANDOM HOUSE. PEACH CRISP ACTIVE: 30 min l TOTAL: 1½ hr l MAKES: one 8- or 9-inch crisp CRISP TOPPING ½ cup all-purpose flour or old-fashioned rolled oats ½ cup almond flour ½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

PEACH FILLING 4 large peaches or 5 medium peaches (about 2½ pounds), halved and pitted ⅓ cup packed light or dark brown sugar 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or cornstarch 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon brandy (optional) 1 teaspoon grated orange zest 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ cup roughly chopped pecans 1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ and place a rack in the middle of the oven. 2. Make the crisp topping: Combine the flours, brown sugar and salt in a small bowl. Use a fork to combine. Pour in the melted butter and then gently stir with a fork until clumps form and all the flour is moistened. Large clumps are okay—you can break them up once the topping has had some time to freeze. Place the bowl in the freezer so the butter can firm up while preparing the filling. 3. Prepare the peach filling: Cut the halved peaches in half, then each piece into thirds. Place the peaches in a large bowl and add the brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, brandy (if using), orange zest, vanilla and nutmeg. Toss until all the ingredients evenly coat the peaches. 4. Transfer the peaches and any accumulated juices to an 8- or 9-inch baking pan or pie dish. Sprinkle the chopped pecans on top. 5. Remove the crisp topping from the freezer. Use a fork or your fingertips to break up any clumps that are larger than a garbanzo bean. Sprinkle the crisp topping on top of the peach wedges in an even layer. 6. Bake until the crisp is browned on top, you can hear the peach juices sizzling and a fork easily slides into a peach wedge, 1 hour to 1 hour 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and enjoy straight away for a warm, satisfying treat. If not enjoying immediately, let the crisp rest at room temperature to firm up before storing, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.