I look forward to this time of year mainly because it is peach season – and it is everything peach this season for me and my blog. Sadly however, it’s almost over. I’ve been trying to vary the recipes I post, but every time I walk by the peach displays at my grocers or market, I’m just drawn to them. I can only eat so many (not true, I can eat more) peaches raw, so must reinvent ways to serve it. I like bar type desserts. I get to control the size of the pieces when I cut them up so don’t feel so guilty eating one or four small pieces of a dessert bar. Really, fresh fruit, oats, nuts – oh yes and a few other ingredients that are really background things – butter, eggs, flour etc. It is called Peach Streusel Bars, not Butter, Flour and Egg bars.

I’ve been buying peaches for the last month or so (hence all the postings with peaches in them) and clearly noticing how, as we get more into the season, the peaches are sweeter and juicier. So test your peaches before adding the sugar. If you find when you cut into them, that they are too juicy – really is there such a thing?! make sure you just add the peaches and not the juicy bits – just pour the remaining bits over some French vanilla ice cream and a splash or two of Grand Marnier – oh yes I did! – into the recipe.  You can also just slurp all the juicy goodness left behind from the chopping – hey, your kitchen, your rules – not that I’ve ever done that more than a dozen or so times this season :).

Ingredients:
Crust & Topping
1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (42g) old fashioned rolled oats (or quick oats)
1/3 cup (67g) packed dark brown sugar (or light)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 tbsp. Churn 84, or 10 tbsp. (150g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1/2 – 1 cup (70g) chopped pecans, optional

Peach Filling
1 large egg
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon (8g) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 medium peaches, chopped (about 2 cups) – if the texture of the skin bothers you, peel the peaches before chopping them. I love all parts of the peach, even the stone as it grows more peaches

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees
Grease and line a 8″ x 8″ or 9″ x 9″ dish with parchment – it makes it easier to remove the bars and less clean-up – leaving enough of an overhang to make removal from the pan easier, and spray the parchment

Make the crust and topping:
In a large bowl, stir the flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon together until combined
Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender or two forks until it reaches coarse, pea-sized crumbs Remove 1/3 cup of the mixture, put in a small bowl and mix with pecans – this is for the topping
Evenly press the remaining oat mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan and bake for 15 minutes as you prepare the filling

Make the filling:
Whisk the egg and sugar together until smooth and creamy – it will be thick
Add the flour and salt – stir until combined, fold in the peaches
Remove crust from the oven and pour the filling over hot crust
Sprinkle with reserved oat/pecan mixture
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on top
Allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes
Remove from the pan, cut into 1” x 2” rectangles or whatever size you want
Transfer to the refrigerator and allow to chill for 2 hours before cutting into squares
Serve at room temperature or warmed up
As always – enjoy!

Peach bars1

Peach bars3