Fresh Peach Crumb Bars

We've all had the typical peach cobbler, peach crisp and I'm sure some variation of a peach pie. I favor desserts in the form of bars so I decided to switch it up from the conventional and try something new. I love the crumb topping of these bars and how easy they are to whip together. All the ingredients were already in my pantry, so it took no time to throw them together.  

I'm sure these could be adapted to many types of fruit as well. I had leftover peaches on hand, so it worked out perfectly for me. But I bet it would also be great with blueberries or strawberries as well. These are best served the day you make them or maybe a day after, but eventually the juices from the peaches make the crust softer than you would prefer. The crust is buttery and slightly crispy, and the fruit layer adds just the right amount of sweetness. Enjoy!

 

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 16 tbsp. cold, unsalted butter cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg
• 5 cups peeled, chopped peaches (about 5 peaches)
• 5 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. lemon juice, divided
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Grease a 9 x 13″ pan; set aside.

 

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, flour and salt. Mix in 1 tsp. lemon juice. Cut in the butter and egg with a pastry blender until the largest chunks are about pea-sized. The mixture should be crumbly without much loose flour. Spread about half of the dough mixture in an even layer over the bottom of the prepared pan and press down firmly to form the bottom crust.

In another bowl, stir together the remaining sugar, cornstarch, 1 tbsp. lemon juice and nutmeg. Gently mix in the peaches* with a rubber spatula until combined. Sprinkle the fruit mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble the remaining dough over the top of the peaches.

 

Bake for about 45 minutes or until the top is slightly golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares and serving.

 

*Note: Because my peaches were overly ripe, they were floating in a bowl of juice. I used a slotted spoon to transfer the fruit to the baking dish, discarding most of the excess juice, to prevent the crust from getting soggy.

Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats