Peach Squares

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 24
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups sliced almonds
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar (packed plus 1 tablespoon)
• table salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 lbs frozen peaches, partially thawed
• 1/2 cup peach preserves
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, grated
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Recipe

• 1 adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.
• 2 line 13x9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, allowing excess to overhang pan edges. spray pan with cooking spray.
• 3 process flour, 11/4 cups almonds, granulated sugar, 1/3 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in food processor until combined, about 5 seconds.
• 4 add butter and pulse mixture until it resembles coarse meal (some pea-sized pieces of butter will remain), about twenty 1-second pulses.
• 5 transfer 1/2 cup flour mixture to small bowl and set aside.
• 6 press remaining flour mixture firmly and evenly into bottom of prepared baking pan. bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• 7 meanwhile, toss remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar with reserved flour mixture. set aside.
• 8 while crust is baking, remove blade from food processor and wipe out workbowl. pulse peaches and preserves in food processor until mixture has 1/4-inch chunks, about five 1-second pulses (if larger chunks remain, scrape down sides and pulse 2 more times).
• 9 cook peach mixture in large nonstick skillet over high heat until thickened and jam-like, about 10 minutes.
• 10 off heat, add pinch salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice. pour mixture over hot crust.
• 11 using fingers, pinch reserved flour mixture to create dime-sized clumps and sprinkle over peaches.
• 12 sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup almonds over top and bake until almonds are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• 13 cool to room temperature, at least 2 hours. using foil overhang, lift from pan and cut into 24 squares. squares are best served on day they are baked because the crust can become soggy with time.
• 14 to reheat.
• 15 to revive, simply place leftover squares side by side (with no spaces in between the squares) on a baking sheet and heat in a 350°f oven until the bottoms are crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. allow to cool back to room temperature before eating.