Peach Squares

MAKES 24 SQUARES

Ingredients

1ВЅ cups almond flour

1Вѕ cups sliced almonds

в…” cup palm sugar + 1 tablespoon palm sugar

1 pinch salt

6 tablespoons coconut oil, cut into 12 pieces and softened

1ВЅ pounds frozen peaches, thawed and drained

ВЅ cup peach jam (see Fruit Jam recipe)

ВЅ teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Coconut oil for greasing foil

Preparation

1.В В Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375В°F. Line a 13×9 baking pan with a foil sling. Make foil sling by folding two long sheets of aluminum foil; the first sheet should be thirteen inches wide and the second sheet should be nine inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Grease with coconut oil.

2.В В Process the flour, 1Вј cups of the almonds, в…“ cup of the palm sugar, and ВЅ teaspoon salt together in a food processor until combined (about 5 seconds). Add the coconut oil and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-sized pieces of coconut oil (about 20 pulses).

3.В В Reserve ВЅ cup of the flour mixture for the topping. Sprinkle the remaining flour mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer with the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake the crust until fragrant and golden brown (about 15 minutes).

4.В В While the crust bakes, mix the remaining tablespoon of palm sugar and the reserved flour mixture together in a small bowl and pinch the mixture between your fingers into hazelnut-sized clumps of streusel.

5.В В Pulse the peaches and jam together in a food processor until the peaches are roughly quarter-inch chunks (5 to 7 pulses). Cook the peach mixture in a large nonstick skillet over high heat until it is thickened and jam-like (10 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.

6.В В Spread the cooked peach mixture evenly over the hot crust and sprinkle with the streusel topping and remaining ВЅ cup of almonds. Bake until almonds are golden brown (about 20 minutes), rotating the pan halfway through baking.

7.В В Place the pan atop a wire rack and let the bars cool completely (about two hours). Remove the bars from the pan using the foil, cut into squares, and serve.