← Go to Epicurious.com

Community Table from Epicurious

from Epicurious

Take your place at the table

Peach season here is underway and one of our new favorite traditions is to go peach picking at our local orchard.  We went a little earlier than usual this year which isn't a bad thing-that just means we can go back in a few weeks and get even more peaches!

20130720-DSC_0438.jpg


I always like to freeze a bunch of cut peaches so we can enjoy them year round-I love to add the frozen peaches to oatmeal-yum!  This year I decided I wanted to make a dessert before freezing all of them and decided on these peach bars.  I was leaning towards making a peach pie, and I still might, but decided I wanted something easier and less time consuming. Plus, I love bars and these caught my eye immediately.  These are not what you might think of when you hear the word "bar"-they are not gooey bars-instead they are a bit crumbly because they are shortbread.  Either way they are delicious! These are the perfect summer dessert!


20130720-DSC_0433.jpg



Peach Shortbread Bars

1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1 large egg
2-3 peaches (depending on size), pitted and thinly sliced (between 1/8 and 1/4-inch thick)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9×13 inch pan, or spray it with a nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, stir together sugar, baking powder, flour, salt and spices with a whisk. Use a pastry blender, fork or your fingertips, cut in the butter and egg into the flour mixture. It will be crumbly. Pat 3/4 of the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing firmly. Place peach slices over crumb base in a single layer. Scatter remaining crumbs evenly over peaches and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until top is slightly brown and you can see a little color around the edges. Cool completely in pan before cutting into squares.


Source: Smitten Kitchen

Read the original on: Simple Gourmet Cooking