Peach Crumble Bars

Did you know that South Carolina is the real peach state?!  We actually produce more peaches each year than Georgia - sorry, neighbors to the South!  The peaches at the farmer's market and even at the grocery store have been amazing recently (so amazing that I've bought too many!).  I had a few that were on their way out, so I decided to make these delicious bars last weekend for a friend's brunch.  They tasted just as good as they look, and they were so easy to make!

Ingredients:
For the crumble  - 
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- one stick of unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling - 
- 3 fresh peaches, sliced
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the flour, oats, sugars, and salt for the crumble.
3. Pour the dry mixture into the butter, egg, and vanilla, and stir to combine.  This mixture should resemble coarse crumbs.
4. Press half of the crumble into the bottom of the parchment-lined pan.
5. Make the filling by mixing all 4 ingredients together and pouring on top of the crust layer.
6. Sprinkle the remaining crumble on top of the filling.
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top crumble is golden brown.
8. Allow to cool fully before cutting into 9 squares.

I could seriously photograph delicious food all day!  I had fun getting out my 50mm prime lens for this one (it's been too long!!).  These bars are photogenic for sure!  They were the perfect combination of soft without falling apart when I cut them.  I think the secret is making sure you press the crust firmly into the bottom of the pan before piling on the other layers.