I LOVE peaches. And peach season always seems so short that when it does roll around, I need to take full advantage of it.
And sometimes I get ahead of myself. I bought peaches way back in June and they were weird. Their sweet fragrance indicated they were ripe, but they felt rock hard. After a few days of the smell starting to get a little too sweet, I decided it was time. I cut them open and they were still rock hard. I let them sit for days until they started rotting-still rock hard. Ugh.
The lesson here is to buy produce while it’s in season! That’s one of my goals in addition to buying more locally. The buying locally goal tanked this year. I went to the farmer’s market once and it was crowded and not may people were wearing masks (including vendors). I live in Ohio. After that, I decided no more farmer’s market for awhile.
I’m also reaching a burnout point. I was going crazy cooking and baking for the first four months of the pandemic. It was a dream come true. I wasn’t buying any takeout. I felt healthier and was saving money. But then I would put off doing the millions of dishes all of that cooking and baking produced. Then I started to get very very tired. I’ve been behind on the blog and haven’t been posting recipes. It’s been frustrating for me, but at the same time I started a new job, had a death in the family, and OH there’s a pandemic. I know I need to cut myself slack. I think most of us need to during this time.
And it’s ok to eat a little more dessert…
About the recipe
I’m obsessed with shortbread crusts. I first started using them when I wanted to make cheesecake bars and didn’t have any graham crackers. Now I’m hooked. They’re so perfectly crunchy, and a great texture alongside the soft peaches. The crumble topping gives it that final, sweet crunch.
Create a parchment paper sling so you can easily lift out your bars. I like to hold it down using binder clips. Just remember to remove them before baking!
Press your crust into your baking dish. Refrigerate and then bake for 15 minutes.
Add the filling and top with the crumble topping.
Let cool completely before cutting to ensure the filling has solidifed. After cooling, I also like to put it in the fridge for 2-4 hours.
Peach Crumble Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup (130 g) flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 stick cold butter, cut into tablespoon sized pieces
Filling
- 5 peaches, sliced
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch of kosher salt
Crumble Topping
- 1 1/2 cups (195 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Prepare the first part of the filling. Combine the peaches and sugar. Set aside.
- Prepare the crust. Line an 8"x8" baking dish with parchment paper. Make sure there's an overhang.
- Combine flour, sugar, powdered sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut butter into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into dish. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Then bake for 25-30 minutes or until just starting to turn golden brown on edges. Do not overbake. It may need more time if it's a glass dish. After baking, use a fork to lightly poke some holes in the crust.
- Raise the oven temperature to 375°F.
- Prepare the crumble topping.
- Combine flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Mix in melted butter until combined.
- Now finish preparing the filling. Drain juices (if any). Whisk together the lemon juice and cornstarch. Mix with the peaches along with cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
- Pour the peach filling over the shortbread crust.
- Top with the crumble topping.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling slightly.
- Let cool completely before cutting into squares. I recommend chilling for 4 hours to make sure filling has solidified.