Peach Crumb Bars

. So I'm just about to sit down to do some work...on a Saturday.  Yes, on a Saturday.  I remember that I used to tell myself I would always leave work at work, but I've found that is simply not in my DNA.  Instead of enjoying my nights and weekends, I find myself stressing over matters at work: what needs to be done yesterday, what meetings do I need to be ready for tomorrow, etc., etc.  In the grand scheme of things, work will always be there and everything will eventually get done, but I've talked myself through this many times over.  So my resolution is to just give in.  I gather that if I even do a couple things here or there, my stress levels will be greatly reduced.  Sound like a good idea?  I think so.

I'm currently sitting on our deck right now, enjoying the sun for a moment and figured it would be a good time to get a little blogging in before I get to the "real" work.  And this beautiful summer day reminded me of a little treat I made last weekend: Peach Crumb Bars.  Now I have to admit, this bar wasn't quite what I was expecting.  And in all honesty, it was a little bit of disappointment [for both Robbie and I].  Yes, they are good.  But there was something that was missing, a sweetness that just wasn't quite maximized.  And after some extensive taste testing, I will say that the culprit lied in the base and crumb topping, which is one in the same.  It was just a tad bland, despite there being a large amount of sugar added.  The one good thing about this recipe though is that this subtle base and crumb topping really gives the peaches a chance to shine.  And if you can get your hands on some ripe peaches...yeah, can't say much more about that!  These are also those kinds of bars that you could nibble on constantly because they're not at all heavy.  And I always tell myself that I'm getting my servings of fruit in for the day.  Good rationale, Jess.

Also, I stumbled across this recipe on another blog, Two Peas & Their Pod, who noted that they added a good sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar before baking [oh, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream post baking].  Can we say genius and yet so simple?!  I truly think this would amp up this dessert just enough to make exactly it what I was looking for.  Now don't take any of this the wrong way, these bars are very good, extremely versatile [since you can substitute any type of fruit], and are a great dessert/snack.  I think that particular day though, I had something else in mind and hence, my disappointment.  But I say that you test these out yourself and formulate your own opinion.  And then let me know what you think! .

My Notes:

• These bars are best eaten the day they are made.  They do, of course, last a couple days correctly store but will lose that slight crunch over time.  Not really a big deal, but I felt like it needed to be noted!

Peach Crumb Bars

From Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients:

Dough:

3 c. all purpose flour

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. unsalted butter, cold

1 egg, slightly beaten

Filling:

5 c. diced or sliced peaches (about 5 medium peaches)

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 c. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 375°F.  Grease a 13x9-inch pan; set aside.

2.  For dough, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Using a pastry blender, cut in butter.

3.  Add egg and mix in with pastry blender (mixture will be crumbly).  

4.  Pat half of the dough into the prepared pan.  Place remaining dough into refrigerator until ready to use.

5.  Meanwhile, for filling, place peaches in a medium bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice; mix gently.

6.  In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Pour over peaches and mix gently.

7.  Spread the peach mixture evenly over the crust.  Crumble the remaining dough over the peach layer.

8.  Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is slightly brown.  Cool completely before cutting.

Yield: 2 dozen bars