If you know me and you know it’s July, then you also know we have peaches galore here at the house. Bret brought home half a bushel of Parker County Peaches a few days ago and I was so excited. Do you know how much a half-bushel is? Lots. And lots.
I set them on the table for a day or so (all 75 to 80 of them), then after they ripened, put them in the refrigerator to stop the ripening process. I don’t know if this is the way you’re supposed to do it, but it works for us.
The peaches are now soft, sweet and juicy. So! Time to pull out the recipes. Here’s one originally from AnEdibleSymphony.blogspot.com – unfortunately she hasn’t posted for several years, but I’m glad she posted this one back in 2012.
These Peachy Brown Butter Bars are delicious! They were good warm and are also good right out of the refrigerator.
The browned butter batter really adds a deep nutty, buttery taste and that shortbread base is terrific. And those fresh summer peaches….yum.
After baked, the edges get a wonderful chewy texture. These bars are good on their own, but Bret said he thought whipped cream or our dearly, temporarily-departed Blue Bell vanilla ice cream would be good on them. Either way, these are winners for sure!
These are terrific!
Peachy Brown Butter Bars
A good way to use all those peaches this summer. Delicious and sweet.
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 7 tbsp butter, melted
- 1/3 C sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 1 C plus 1 tbsp. flour
- pinch of salt
- Filling:
- 1/2 C butter, (1 stick)
- 2 eggs
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 C sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 C flour
- 4-6 peaches, peeled and sliced medium-thin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Using a little butter, grease an 8" x 8" baking pan. Line with parchment paper if you'd like, so you can lift the bars out after cooled. Butter the top of the parchment paper if you use it.
- For the crust, mix the butter, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl. Stir in the flour and salt until a dough forms. Roll it into a ball and press evenly into the bottom of your pan. Bake for about 12 minutes, till crust is golden. Put pan on a rack and cool slightly.
- For the filling, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook it until it's a deep brown - it probably will foam up a bit right before it's ready. Careful - don't leave it or it will burn. That should take 5-7 minutes. Set pan aside.
- Whisk eggs, salt, sugar and vanilla together in a mixing bowl. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Very slowly drizzle in the browned butter while the mixer is still on, until smooth and completely blended.
- Arrange two layers of peach slices on the pre-baked crust. Pour the brown butter mixture carefully and evenly over the fruit. Bake the bars for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Cool bars completely on rack, then cut into squares and serve. Refrigerate unused (yeah, right) portion.
Notes
Tips and Stuff:
Once I made browned butter and it was beautifully evenly brown. This time it was more of a sunken browning on the bottom, but the wonderful nutty taste was still there. Don't stir it while it's browning.
Yes, you can make these with just melted butter, but it really needs that browned butter flavor.
Depending on the size of peaches, it may take anywhere from 4 to 6 - also depending on how thinly you slice them.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 barAmount Per Serving: Calories: 235Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 148mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 20gProtein: 2g
Nutrition Values are Approximate