1cupall purpose flourspooned and leveled into measuring cup
¼cupwhite sugar
pinchtable salt
Peach Filling
2poundsripe peachesabout 2 cups of diced peaches
½cupwhite sugar
2tablespoonslemon juicefrom one small lemon
2teaspoonscorn starch
½teaspoonvanilla extract
½teaspoonground cinnamon
¼teaspoonground nutmeg
1cuprolled oats
½cuplight brown sugarpacked
½cupunsalted buttermelted
pinchtable salt
Instructions
Shortbread Crust
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 or 7x11 metal baking pan with parchment paper. Leave enough parchment paper on the sides to use as handles.
In a food processor with a standard blade attachment: Add the sliced butter, flour, sugar and salt. Pulse a few times, until the butter is broken down into tiny pieces and the mixture resembles medium crumbs.
OR by hand: Add all ingredients in a medium bowl. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into tiny pieces. Mix until the mixture resembles medium crumbs.
Pat the pie crust into the parchment paper paper lined pan. It will be quite dry and crumbly but will hold together enough to pat into the pan. Bake on the middle oven rack at 350F for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden around the edges and starting to puff up. It won't be 100% cooked through.
Peach Filling and Crumb Topping
Peel the peaches OR blanch them (I prefer to blanch). Bring a large pot filled with water to a boil over high heat. Score the bottom of the peaches with a small X. Once boiling, add in the peaches. Boil for 2 minutes. Transfer drained peaches to a bowl filled with water and ice. The peach skins should peel right off.
Slice the peaches into wedges. Add to a medium bowl with the white sugar, lemon juice, corn starch, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. Mash with a fork or potato masher until half of the peaches are broken down.
Make the crumb topping in a small bowl by mixing together the rolled oats, brown sugar, melted butter and pinch of salt.
Pour the peach filling on top of the baked crust. Evenly top with the oatmeal crumb. Bake on the middle oven rack at 350F for 40-45 minutes. The bars are ready when the oat topping is golden and the peach filling is bubbling.
Remove from the oven and let cool to room temp. Transfer to the fridge and let cool completely before slicing. Enjoy with a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Measuring flour: I recommend using the spoon-and-level method for measuring flour. Simply spoon flour into a measuring cup then use the back of a knife to wipe off excess. This gives most consistent results.
Can I use canned or frozen peaches? Yes, but it will yield a slightly softer texture. Let frozen peaches thaw completely before using. Make sure to drain all of the liquid off of canned peaches.
Leftovers: Keep bars refrigerated in a closed container for 4-5 days for best quality. If you need to stack the bars I recommend using a piece of wax paper or parchment paper between layers.