Peach Shortbread Bars

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!

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!

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