Roasted Peaches With Pecan Shortbread 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.

PECAN SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter/sugar mixture. Add the pecans and mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut into 2 1/2-inch squares with a plain or fluted cutter (or cut into any shape you like). Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature and serve.

ROASTED PEACHES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees. In a bowl, gently toss peaches with lime juice and oil. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment. Place confectioners' sugar in a fine-mesh sieve and dust peaches evenly.
• Bake until peaches darken and begin to curl, about 1 hour. Let cool completely; serve.

PECAN SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides.
• In a food processor, pulse pecans until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl; set aside. In processor, blend flour, sugar, butter, and salt until moist clumps form. Add reserved pecans; pulse 2 or 3 times, just to incorporate.
• Press dough evenly into the bottom of prepared pan (if dough is sticky, dip fingers in flour). With a floured fork, prick dough every 1/2 inch. Bake until lightly golden, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Cool 5 minutes in pan. Use foil overhang to lift shortbread from pan onto cutting board. With a serrated knife, carefully cut warm shortbread into 18 bars (6 rows by 3 rows). Remove from foil; cool bars completely on a rack before serving.

PECAN SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Cream together the butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer, until mixture is light in color, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the flour, salt, pecans, and almond extract, and mix until combined and the pecans start to break up.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator at least 1 hour or overnight. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. Using 2 1/2-inch diameter fluted cookie cutters, cut cookies, and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Return to refrigerator 1 hour more.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Sprinkle cookies with the remaining sugar, and bake until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool.

ROASTED PEACHES WITH PECAN SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan. Place 8 tablespoons butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and the granulated sugar in an electric mixer. Beat until light and creamy, about 4 minutes. Add flour, pecans, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; beat for 5 minutes. Transfer dough to prepared pan, and spread evenly. Score dough into four bars, and prick the surface decoratively with a fork.
• Bake until shortbread looks dry, about 1 hour. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees.
• Meanwhile, place remaining 2 tablespoons butter, remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 3 tablespoons water in a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Place in oven until sugar is dissolved, about 6 minutes. Remove from oven; whisk in remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and liqueur. Place peaches in dish, cut side down; bake until tender, about 15 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Slip off peach skins. Turn shortbread out of pan, cut along the scored lines, and serve with the peaches.

DEEP-DISH PEACH PIE WITH PECAN STREUSEL TOPPING

Steps:

• For streusel topping:
• Stir flour, oats, sugar, and salt in medium bowl. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until mixture holds together in moist clumps. Mix in pecans. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.
• For crust:
• Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor 5 seconds. Add butter and shortening. Using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles very coarse meal. Drizzle 3 1/2 tablespoons water over. Blend until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap; chill at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. If necessary, soften dough slightly at room temperature before rolling out.
• Roll out dough on floured work surface to 14-inch round; transfer to 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Cut off all but 1/2 inch overhang. Fold overhang in; crimp edge. Chill crust.
• For filling:
• Stir sugar and next 4 ingredients in large bowl. Mix in lemon juice, then peaches; toss. Let stand at least 20 minutes, tossing occasionally.
• Set rack at lowest position in oven. Slide foil-lined baking sheet under rack onto oven floor (to catch any drips). Preheat oven to 400°F. Spoon filling into crust. Scatter topping over, breaking up large clumps.
• Bake pie 30 minutes. Reduce oven to 350°F; bake until juices bubble thickly and topping is golden, covering edges with foil if browning too quickly, about 1 hour. Cool on rack at least 1 1/2 hours. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PECAN SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Put butter, sugar, vanilla and cardamom in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally.
• Carefully add flour and pecans, and mix a few minutes more, at low speed at first, then medium, until dough comes together. Remove dough and knead for 1 minute. Press dough into a 9-inch square cake pan. (Alternatively, press into a 9-inch fluted French tart pan with a removable bottom.)
• Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool and cut into squares, bars or wedges with a serrated knife while still slightly warm. Store in a tin until needed. To serve, arrange on a plate and dust with confectioners' sugar.