Fresh Peach Kuchen Bars Recipe

Peak peach season in the U.S. falls between May and September, although you can get your hands on sweet, ripe fuzzy peaches year-round, thanks to imports from fruit growers in the Southern Hemisphere. But the peaches that are grown in the U.S. tend to be sweeter when found in the stores and at farmers markets, thanks to a shorter transport time from when they were picked and ultimately ended up in your shopping basket. While peaches taste fantastic eaten alone as the fresh picked fruit that they are, they can also star as the perfect ingredient in many scrumptious fruit-based desserts. Sure, you've probably heard of peach cobbler, but have you ever sampled fresh peach Kuchen bars?

In this recipe for peach Kuchen bars from Angela Latimer at Bake It With Love, a pound of fresh peaches give her Kuchen bars dessert such a sweet and decadent taste that you may find yourself sneaking a second bar or even more. "Kuchen bars have a delightfully creamy taste," Latimer explains.

If you're looking for a sweet, fruity dessert, give this recipe for fresh peach Kuchen bars a try! We are sure it will be a favorite snack to make over and over again. They're a perfect dessert bar to serve as a yummy sweet course when you're planning a dinner, or to bring with you to a barbecue or picnic. Not only do they taste delicious, but they make a colorful presentation when cut and arranged on a pretty platter.

According to Latimer, "Kuchen" is German for cake. But the German Kuchen most people think of in the Midwest is a combination of coffee cake and custard with a fruit filling, as she describes it. "It is a recipe that my Grandma made for me as a kid. We topped ours with only a dusting of confectioners' sugar," she says.

Kuchen just so happens to be South Dakota's state dessert, according to the Farmers Almanac. It has also been a tasty part of a German tradition for hundreds of years. "Kaffee and Kuchen," which translates to "Coffee and Cake," is akin to teatime in England. And we're always here for coffee and cake — are we right or are we right? This recipe makes the perfect cake kind of dessert to have any time of day or night. So let's get started with the process so you can see the goodness we are talking about here.

Not only does this recipe taste absolutely amazing, but it only takes 10 minutes of hands-on time to whip up and 40 minutes to bake. Let's be honest: That makes this dessert so much sweeter. All you need to gather together as far as ingredients are concerned is all-purpose flour, confectioners' sugar, salt, butter, fresh peaches, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and sour cream. The fresh peaches should be cored, peeled, and sliced, but peeling is optional, as per Latimer's advice.

"Blanch and peel, if desired, or simply cut and peel like an apple," she says. "Your peaches should be [cut] slightly thinner than canned peach slices, since they are baking from fresh. Large slices won't be as tender once baked — especially if [they are] not super ripe."

Since peaches tend to bruise easily, you can use a hand peeler, and remove the skin with light but firm downstrokes. Start at the top of the step, and glide toward the bottom of the peach, working your way around the piece of fruit. If you opt to blanch the peaches, don't leave the fruit in the water for too long or the fruit will begin to cook and turn mushy.

Believe it or not, the U.S. grows over 300 kinds of peaches, and there are more than 2,000 types of peaches that can be found across the world (via SFGATE). When picking the best peach for this recipe, you don't want it to be too soft or mushy and definitely free of blemishes or bruises. Don't buy any peaches that have shriveled skin, either. Each peach should have a good scent, so don't be ashamed to sniff the peaches in the store! Your peaches should also be a bold yellow or orange in color with a deep red blush spread across them. Bigger pieces of this fruit also taste delicious and don't lose their flavor as they grow.

"My peaches were the first peaches I could get my hands on this year, and yellow or white does not matter," Latimer says. So pick out some great peaches for this recipe, and you won't be disappointed in the end result!

Take out a small or medium-sized mixing bowl, and add in 1 cup of all-purpose flour followed by ¼ cup of confectioners sugar, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Whisk these ingredients to combine well, then add in ½ cup of cold cubed butter.

Now, it's time to cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or a pair of butter knives or even the tines of a fork. Once the butter reaches a pea-sized consistency in the flour, transfer the crust mixture to an un-greased 9x13-inch baking pan. Press the crust mixture down into the pan so that it makes an even layer. "The butter does not need to be unsalted. You could upgrade to a good European butter for richness of flavor," Latimer says.

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Then, place the sliced fresh peaches over the flaky crust layer in the baking pan, and set this pan aside. In a separate mixing bowl, beat two large eggs together, then when they're frothy, add in 1 cup of sugar and ¼ teaspoon of salt, and whisk to combine. Add in another ¼ cup of all-purpose flour and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, then whisk in 1 cup of sour cream until the filling mixture is smooth and creamy. Poor the filling mixture over the sliced peaches in the baking pan. 

The result at this point is going to look really, really yummy. It's time to start getting pretty excited about this dessert.

Slide the baking tin into the pre-heated oven, and bake the fresh peach Kuchen bars at 450 F for 10 minutes, then drop the temperature to 325 F, and bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes. According to Latimer, the filling should be set, and the edges should be lightly golden when it is done baking. "The filling should spring back to the touch when ready," she advises.

This dessert can be served warm or chilled and even dusted with confectioners' sugar or topped with whipped cream or a hefty dollop of vanilla ice cream. Pull out a nice serving platter, and you can cut this dessert into bars. They will make a lovely presentation, and you can even add a bit of color with a few blackberries, strawberry slices, or blueberries scattered about on the platter. You can place the serving platter for all to serve themselves, or you can place individual ones on plates with a small scoop of ice cream or whipped cream on the side.

Get ready for the compliments to roll in, because this dessert is a total winner!