Sunday, September 17, 2023

Melissa Clark: Creamy Peach Pie Bars


I knew I was making these bars as soon as I saw their picture pop up on Facebook.  What could be better on a hot summer day than cold cheesecake and peach bars?  Not much, that's for sure.  And they really weren't even that hard to pull together.  They aren't super sweet, instead relying on much of the natural sweetness of the peaches, and while I was definitely a sugar monster as a kid, I appreciate this subtlety.

Note: I always seem to have trouble finding good peaches; they're either hard as a rock or rotten.  So I substituted two 10-ounce bags of frozen organic peach slices, and it worked just fine.

Creamy Peach Pie Bars
From Melissa Clark, as seen at NY Times Cooking

For the crust:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing the pan
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs (cinnamon flavor or regular)
⅓ cup pecans
Pinch of salt

For the filling:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
¾ cup heavy cream, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar, plus more as needed
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon or lime zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
3 cups sliced peaches, peeled or unpeeled as desired (20 ounces or 3 to 4 peaches)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon or lime juice

Prepare the crust: Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish, and line with parchment paper so that there is a 2-inch overhang on the two long sides.

In a food processor, pulse graham crackers, pecans, butter, and salt until the mixture feels damp and sandy. Pour into the prepared pan and press down into an even layer. Bake until firm and slightly darker in color, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a rack and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. You can bake the crust up to 6 hours ahead, or use it while it’s still hot.

Make the filling: Wipe out the food processor, then add cream cheese, cream, and ½ cup sugar, and process until very smooth. Add eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and salt, and process until well combined. Pour the cream cheese mixture onto the crust.

Put the peaches into a medium pot and taste one. If it’s very sweet, add 1 tablespoon sugar. If it’s on the tart side, add 2 tablespoons sugar. Add lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon peaches and their liquid gently over the cream filling.

Bake until set and firm, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before cutting and serving. Bars can be made up to 1 day in advance, and will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days. Serve directly from the fridge.

Makes 24 bars

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