Ripe peaches are pretty irresistible–juicy, sweet–they’re the perfect summer fruit. These Peach Bars take those ripe peaches, blend the flesh into a puree, and pair the sweet, fruity notes of a silky peach custard with a nutty walnut shortbread base that is incredibly tender and slightly crunchy thanks to pieces of toasted walnut folded throughout. Much like lemon bars, these are best when served chilled with a dusting of powdered sugar over the top.
I cannot stress just how easy this recipe is. I don’t know if you’ve noticed this yet or not, but I am all about a good shortbread and the shortbread base for these Peach Bars is incredibly tender and melt-in-the-mouth. Loaded with toasted walnut flavor, the dough comes together fast. Dump the dough into your prepared pan and use clean hands to press it into the corners of the pan, making sure to get the surface as even as you can.
Allow the base to bake while you prepare the custard for the top layer which doesn’t require much work beyond sifting flour and sugar into a large bowl and whisking together all of the ingredients. Pour the custard on top of the still warm base and pop the dish back in the oven to finish baking.
This past week has been a little bit crazy–Monday was spent visiting with friends from out of town, many that I haven’t seen in essentially forever, Tuesday started a trip a trip to Minnesota where we made a pit stop at my parents’ place in Wisconsin, Wednesday continued that drive and the night ended with a soccer match where I essentially geeked out about getting to watch my Premier League team play my favorite sport in person (Up the Villa!), Thursday brought a drive back to Illinois, then it was back to work on Friday, and a Ben Kweller concert on Saturday night with my sister and my nephew. It’s been pretty non-stop the last few days, so it’s nice to have a recipe you can quickly throw together and just leave to chill for a while.
Plus, anything that features shortbread and peaches just can’t go wrong. Light, fruity desserts are just what summer calls for, and these peach bars are just the thing to embrace those summer flavors.
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 55-65 minutes |
| Servings |
bars
|
- 300 grams salted butter softened (2 sticks + 5 Tbsp)
- 150 grams powdered sugar (2/3 cup)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 350 grams all purpose flour 2 cups
- 150 grams almond flour 1 cup
- 1 cup walnuts toasted then chopped
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups peach puree 4 medium-to-large peaches blended until smooth
- 6 eggs large
- 2 egg yolks large
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- powdered sugar for dusting
Ingredients
Walnut Shortbread Base
Peach Custard Filling
|
|
- Fit a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F. Grease a 9"x13" pan (glass if you have it) and line it so that parchment paper hangs over the edges. Set aside.
- MAKE THE SHORTBREAD: In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, cream together the powdered sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the all-purpose flour and almond flour 1/2 at a time; mix to combine between each addition. Fold in the chopped toasted walnuts. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan using clean hands to spread it evenly. Bake 25-30 minutes until the edges are a light golden brown.
- PREPARE THE CUSTARD: While the base is in the oven, sift the all-purpose flour and granulated sugar into a large bowl. Add the peach puree, eggs, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Whisk together until fully combined. Allow to sit about 5-10 minutes so that the bubbles can rise to the top.
- Once it's ready, remove the shortbread base from the oven. Pour the custard mix on top of the warm base and return to the oven. Bake for an additional 35-40 minutes until mostly firm. The center should have just the slightest jiggle.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool 1 hour at room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator and allow the bars to cool completely before cutting. Once fully chilled, use the parchment paper to remove the bars from the pan and slice into squares. (Wipe the knife between each slice for a cleaner cut). Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Store these Peach Bars in the freezer. Line them up in a plastic container, use wax paper to set each layer apart.