Fresh Peach Shortbread Bars Food

FRESH PEACH SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Prepare a 9 x 13 inch pan with butter or non-stick spray. Set aside.
• Wash and peel peaches. Cut into slices about 3/8 to 1/2 inches thick. Set aside.
• In a large bowl combine sugar, baking powder, flour, spices, and salt with a whisk, or an electric mixer on low speed.
• Cut the butter slices into the flour mixture with a pastry blender, your fingertips, or a mixer.
• Add the egg and continue to blend until crumbly. The mixture will look like sand with little chunks of butter.
• Put 3 to 4 cups of the shortbread mixture into the prepared pan and pat down firmly.
• Arrange sliced peaches in rows.
• Sprinkle with remaining crust mixture.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until it begins to brown around the edges.
• Cool completely before cutting into squares.

PEACH-PIE CRUMBLE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-by-8-by-2-inch cake pan. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides; butter parchment.
• Crust: Beat butter with sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down bowl. Add flour and salt; beat until dough forms clumps but does not completely hold together. Press 2 1/2 cups flour mixture into bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan.
• Filling: Stir together peaches, sugar, flour, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl. Pour into crust. Crumble remaining flour mixture evenly over top, squeezing to create clumps. Bake until bubbling in center and crust is golden, about 1 hour, 10 minutes (if browning too quickly, tent top with foil). Let cool 20 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Cut into 2-inch squares.

HOMEMADE PEACH CRUMB BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Coat an 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
• Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Next, cut in the cold butter using 2 forks or a pastry cutter then slowly mix in the egg yolk and cold water. Don't worry if the dough seems really crumbly; it should be!
• Press 1/2 of the crumble mixture into the prepared pan to make the crust. Save the rest for the top of the bars.
• Stir together peach slices, sugar, flour, lemon juice, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg until combined. Evenly add peach filling to the top of the crust.
• Sprinkle the remaining crumble over the peach filling.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and set, 30 to 38 minutes. Cool bars to room temperature, then cut and serve.

SOUTHERN PEACH SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly butter a 9-inch cast iron skillet and set aside. Reserve remaining butter.
• Combine flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in 1/2 cup cold butter with a pastry knife until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour in milk and stir just until the dough starts to come together.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Divide ball in half and lightly knead each half. Gently roll each half into a 9-inch circle.
• Place 1 dough circle into the prepared skillet, and dot with reserved butter. Place second dough circle on top of the butter pieces, and place the skillet in the center of the preheated oven.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top is lightly browned, 22 to 25 minutes.
• While the shortcake is baking, prepare peaches. Slice 1 peach, toss with 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and set aside. Chop the remaining peaches, yielding about 4 cups, and toss with remaining lemon juice.
• Turn shortcake out onto a rack to slightly cool, about 5 minutes. Slice in half crosswise, using the edge of the second layer as a guide. Place bottom half on a serving plate, cut side up.
• Sprinkle 1/4 cup white sugar on a plate and lightly mash 2 cups of peaches into the sugar. Spread out mashed peaches and sugar over the shortcake layer on the serving plate. Cover mashed peaches with the second shortcake layer, cut side up.
• Toss remaining chopped peaches with remaining sugar and distribute on top of the second layer. Toss peach slices in any remaining juice, and place in a decorative pattern on top of the shortcake.