Friday 2 June 2017

Peach Shortbread Bars.



Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

It's Ramadan day seven!
I feel like I've not blogged properly here since Ramadan began.
How are you guys? How's it going? Are you coping with the super long fasts?
Let me tell you what life has been like here for the past seven days since the blessed month began. We literally so easily just jumped straight back into the same routine from last year. For us, living here in the north west of England, that means really long fasts. We're talking no food or drink between the hours of around 3am to 9:30pm. So long, right?
But guys, it is so amazing how quickly your body adjusts. Obviously, the first day was like death but after that once my body clocked on that it was Ramadan, everything has been pretty good. Because the time between the evening Iftar meal and the morning Sehri meal is so short, I've not bothered sleeping in between at all. Instead, I sleep after Fajr around 4am which explains why I'm here at 1:36am on a Friday morning, talking to you all about peach shortbread bars.
These are absolutely the most perfect treat with your evening tea or coffee. I actually thought I would be ok with no morning coffee for a month. But no! For Ramadan me, the coffee craving kicks in at midnight which is when I have my "morning" one cup. If you're in my hot drinks club, may I suggest you whip up these summery peach shortbread bars to go with. With a simple brown butter shortbread that is used for both the base and crumble topping, and slices of fresh peach, these bars are not too sweet and just perfect for a midnight post-Taraweeh coffee break.

A Simple List of Ingredients:
1. Butter
2. Peaches
3. Plain Flour
4. Caster Sugar
5. Baking Powder
6. Ground Cinnamon
7. Salt
8. An Egg

Bismillah, let's begin!


We start by browning butter! The best start, in my opinion.


Place 115g cubed Butter into a deep saucepan.


Melt the butter over a low heat until completely melted.


Like this!


Then, turn the heat up and cook the butter until it is foamy and golden brown.


When you first start browning the butter, it will bubble noisily ...


... but the more it browns ....


... it will quieten down and be even more foamy.


Immediately pour the butter into a dish or bowl.


Be sure to scrape in all the brown bits from the pan because that's where all the amazing nutty flavour is.


Then, pop the butter into the freezer.


And, freeze until solid!


When you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 190C. Take an 8x8 inch square tin.


Grease and line it with baking paper.


Let the paper overhang over the edges which will make pulling the bars out easier.


Next, let's prep our 2 Peaches.


Remove the stones from the peaches.


And, thinly slice them! Set aside until needed.


Let's now make our shortbread. Into a bowl, place 180g Plain Flour.


Add in 100g Caster Sugar.


Along with:
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt


Give everything a good mix.


Then, grab your frozen brown butter and cube it up.


Add the butter to the bowl. Doesn't it look like toffee?


Toss the butter in the flour and rub it in with your fingertips.


Then, beat 1 large Egg.


Gradually pour the egg into the mixture ...


... and mix in until the mixture is crumbly but sticks when pressed together. You may not need all the egg.


Let's assemble our bars! Tip about 3/4 of the shortbread into the tin.


Press in with your fingers until you have an even layer. You can add more of the mixture, if needed.


Then, grab your sliced peaches.


You can arrange them all pretty if you want but I was in a rush and so just dumped them in.


Arrange them in an even-ish layer.


It doesn't matter if the peaches overlap.


Then, take the remaining 1/4 of shortbread crumbs.


And, sprinkle them evenly over the peaches to create the most delicious shortbread blanket.


Bake the shortbread at 190C for 15-20 minutes until the edges and top are golden brown.


Let the shortbread hang out in the tin for around 30 minutes to cool and firm up a little.


Before pulling it out onto a board ...


... and slicing up! I cut mine into 9 large squares but you could cut them smaller too.

These peach shortbread bars were so delicious. Not too sweet at all but a perfect balance between the baked peaches and the brown butter which runs all the way through the bottom base and crumble on top. A definite must-try this summer with any peaches that make their way into your kitchen!

Peach Shortbread Bars.

Prep Time: About 1 hour.
Bake Time: About 15-20 minutes.
Serves: Makes 9 large pieces.

Ingredients

115g Butter, cubed
2 Peaches, pitted and thinly sliced
180g Plain Flour
100g Caster Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt
1 large Egg, beaten and as needed

Brown the butter:
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Once fully melted, turn the heat up and cook the butter until it is foamy and golden brown. When you start, the butter will bubble noisily but as it browns, it will quieten down. Pour the butter into a bowl, making sure to scrape in the brown bits too. Freeze until solid.

Prep a baking tin and pre-heat the oven:
Grease and line an 8x8 inch square baking tin. Heat the oven to 190C.

Mix up the shortbread:
In a large bowl, mix together the plain flour, caster sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt. Cut the frozen brown butter into cubes and rub into the dry ingredients using your fingertips. Gradually pour in the beaten egg and mix until the mixture is crumbly but sticks when pressed together. You may not need all the egg.

Assemble the shortbread bars:
Add about 3/4 of the shortbread into the tin. Press in until you have an even layer. Arrange the peach slices in an even layer over the shortbread. Sprinkle over the remaining shortbread mixture.

Bake the shortbread bars:
Bake the shortbread for 15-20 minutes until the edges and top is golden brown. Cool in the tin for 30 minutes before removing.

Serve:
Once cooled, slice up and enjoy!

{adapted from smitten kitchen}

Keep me in your duas please, and enjoy your bars!

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!


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