I know it’s September, but it’s still summer and it’s still hot. We should still be eating peaches every single day for every single meal: breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, dessert.
Are we on the same page with this? I hope so, because I have a dessert for you. These beauts are peach almond butter shortbread bars.
Let’s dissect.
On the bottom is buttery shortbread acting as a strong base to hold the other delicious layers. It’s a simple crust made of butter, powdered sugar, flour, just a little bit of vanilla extract, and a pinch of sea salt.
Next is a layer of almond butter. This acts as a shield to protect the shortbread from getting soggy from the peaches. Not to mention, almond butter is amazing on approximately everything. I made my own by pulverizing almonds with a little bit of sea salt and maple syrup in my food processor, but you could totally use store-bought almond butter here.
Finally, we pile on peaches that have been roasted with maple syrup and brandy. They are juicy and delicious and perfect in every way; the real stars of this recipe. The brandy is totally optional, but really why would you skip it?
And hey, let’s just add a dollop of sweetened whipped cream on there as well. It’s summer and we should live a little before settling into fall.
I kept these bars in the fridge and the shortbread crust stayed strong and crispy for days (3 to be exact). There was no sogginess in sight, which is excellent, because I’m sure we can all agree that soggy crust is the worst. The mix of the shortbread with the creamy almond butter and the juicy peaches is a textural experience for your mouth. Your taste buds won’t be sad about it.
They tasted good cold and they tasted good heated up. They tasted good morning, afternoon, and night. I can say this all with confidence, because I did all the research.
So go run to the grocery store and buy all the peaches and enjoy every single last minute of summer.
Oh and while you’re at it, a few more peach recipes: browned butter ginger peach blondies, bourbon peach crisp, and fruit & coconut water ice pops.
- 3 medium ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup (separated)
- 1 tablespoon brandy (optional)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup dry roasted almonds
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Pre-heat the oven to 350° F. Take two pieces of parchment paper and place them perpendicularly in an 8x8” baking pan. Leave some overhang so that the bars can easily be lifted out of the pan.
- Place the sliced peaches on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with 3 tablespoons of maple syrup and one of brandy (optional), then sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Set aside.
- In the large bowl, cream together the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the flour. Mix until incorporated. Then press dough into the prepared pan.
- Place both the shortbread and the peaches in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. The rim of the shortbread should be lightly browned.
- While the peaches and shortbread are baking, add the almonds, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and the sea salt to a food processor. Process until smooth and creamy. Be patient as this can take up to 10-15 minutes depending on the strength of your processor. You can also use store bought almond butter.
- Allow the shortbread and peaches to cool slightly, then spread a layer of almond butter on the shortbread. You’ll want to make sure everything is covered. Then add the peaches.
- Cut, serve, and enjoy! I added a dollop of sweetened whipped cream to mine, because yum.
