I know, I know - it is September. And this recipe was supposed to get to you in August but back to school got in the way, and going to the Hamptons for an amazing getaway got in the way...what can I say? Sometimes life gets in the way of blogging. And that's pretty damn ok with me. And even though it is September, you can still get some delicious fresh peaches and blueberries to make these peach blueberry crumb bars.
These are the kind of bars you make and say you're only going to have one, but then you find yourself cutting tiny slivers until the whole damn thing is gone.
What are peach blueberry crumb bars?
Basically, these are a pie bar, like pie, but less messy and able to be cut into a convenient little bar. The have a buttery, shortbread crust and crumble topping and are filled with a glorious peach blueberry compote that you make right on the stovetop.
What you will need to make peach blueberry crumb bars.
A lot of simple stuff that you likely have around...
Flour, butter, sugar, salt. That is everything that goes into the short bread and crumble.
Peaches, blueberries, sugar, lemon juice. That is all that you need for a perfect peach blueberry compote.
Pro tips (cause I like to fancy myself a pro)
Pro tips (cause I like to fancy myself a pro)- Try to use unsalted butter. BUT if you can't and you've got salted butter only, no worries, just cut back a bit on your salt in the shortbread recipe. Only use ¼ teaspoon instead of ½ teaspoon.
- Fresh or frozen fruit works in this recipe. I used fresh because, well peach and blueberry are still in season and still tasting delicious. But if you can't get your hands on either, use frozen, by all means.
- Adapt, adapt, adapt. Don't have peaches but have cherries? Make a quick cherry compote. Have a shit ton of raspberries and blueberries, but no peaches? Make these berry crumb bars instead. I will not lie, these are FANTASTIC with a quick plum compote (which also happen to be in season). Peach blueberry just happened to be on my radar and a delish combo, but it is def not the only combo around. Use what you've got, it will still be delicious.
Peach blueberry crumb bars
Equipment
- Stand mixer
Ingredients
For the shortbread
- 2 sticks room temperature butter, try to use unsalted if you can
- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 cups of flour
- 1 teaspoon of salt if you use salted butter then just use ½ teaspoon of salt
For the peach blueberry compote
- ¼ cup sugar
- 8 ripe peaches diced about 4 ½ cups, also I do not peel them bc I don't mind the skins but you can peel them if you like
- 2 cups of blueberries
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and have a rack in the middle. Line a 13x9 baking dish with foil and butter or spray with baking spray.
To make the compote
- Place all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring every once in a while. Cook about 10-12 minutes. The blueberries will release their juices and the peaches will break down. The entire mixture should be thick and reduced when totally finished.
- Set this aside to cool off.
To make the shortbread
- Combine the butter, sugar, and flour for the crust in a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, or a spatula, mix until well-combined and the mixture comes together. Take out ⅓ cup shortbread and set aside to crumble on top of the bars. Press the rest of the crust into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack for about a 20 minutes.
- Pour and spread the cooled compote over the slightly cooled crust. Crumble the remaining ⅓ cup of the shortbread over the top of the filling. Continue baking for 45 minutes until set and slightly golden on top.
- Cool the bars completely before cutting and serving.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!Not a fan of cooked fruit? Try these buttery coconut bars with the same great shortbread crust.
