Peach Cream Bars

Is it kind of crazy to have a summery peachy recipe in September? Maybe. But as long as the temperature is in the 80s and 90s -- which it has been consistently for every single day of the past 2 or 3 weeks -- you can't seriously convince me that it's autumn.

As it turns out, the weather has also been been a surprising impediment to my new goal of outdoor running. I only recently decided that I liked running, but only under very specific conditions. Most importantly, the temperature must be in the 50s or 60s. Cold weather is fine, but anything higher than the 60s...is too hot. I'm not particularly keen on sweating through every pore of my body by the end of a run. Actually, I prefer to avoid sweating altogether, if it were possible. Which is probably why figure skating and I got along so well -- no sweat! (Ooh, punny.)

So these Peach Cream Bars are a product of my denial of summer's end and my eternal love of peaches, seasons notwithstanding. In fact, I like peaches so much that I'm almost reluctant to use them in baking because they taste so great just by themselves! Still, I'm happy to have saved up a couple peaches to use in this fabulous recipe.

During my research days last summer, Mondays were a highlight not just because of lab meeting but also because Julie would bring in a fabulous dessert dish for all of us to munch on during the meetings. One day, she brought in this peach coffee cake, and it was honestly the best. In a way, these Peach Cream Bars are inspired from her. Generous slices of juicy peach between an oatmeal cookie-like crust and topping, with vanilla glaze finishing. There's just the right amount of peach filling so that each bite is satisfyingly soft and chewy, refreshingly peachy with hints of cinnamon oatmeal from the crust and topping.

Enjoy!
~Moni

Peach Cream Bars | Pass the Cocoa

Peach Cream Bars

From Sally’s Baking Addiction   |   Time: 1 hour   |   Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

Crust & Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats or quick oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold & cubed

Peach Filling:
1 egg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 peaches, peeled & chopped (about 1.5 cups)

Vanilla Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons heavy cream or milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 8 x 8 inch pan with aluminum foil, with overhang for easy removal.

For the crust/topping: Whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in cold butter using food processor or manually until coarse, pea-sized crumbs. Set aside 3/4 cup of this mixture for topping. Evenly press remaining oat mixture onto bottom of baking pan and bake for 15 minutes as you prepare filling.

For the filling: Whisk egg & sugar, then add flour and salt. Fold in peaches. Remove crust from oven after 15 minutes and pour filling over hot crust. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. Bake for 30 - 32 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then chill in refrigerator for 2 hours before cutting into squares.

For the vanilla glaze: Using fork or spoon, stir powdered sugar, milk/heavy cream, and vanilla together until smooth. Drizzle over each square. Serve & enjoy!

Store in tightly sealed container in refrigerator for up to 4 days.