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August 11, 2013

Baking with love

There are lots of reasons why I think homemade food is the best.  It’s fresh, the ingredients have names you recognize and, for ingredients like salt, I control the amount I put in.
But I’ve always thought the most important reason homemade food tastes best is that it’s made with love.  And there was no better demonstration of that than the cookies that Catherine and Victoria baked for me two weekends ago when we visited their cottage. 
We’ve been friends with their family since Garth and Andrew worked together over twenty years ago.  Garth, Colleen, Andrew and I spent a weekend in New York when I was pregnant with my oldest daughter.  Many years later our family visited theirs when they were living in China.  And now that they’re in Switzerland and spend their summer and Christmas holidays in Canada, we visit them twice a year at their cottage on Lake Simcoe.  We’ve shared many wonderful memories with them, like ongoing Bocce Ball tournaments, morning polar bear swims and pancake breakfasts – sometimes made over an open fire.
Our girls and theirs (including little sister Madeleine) have known each other since birth, and despite spending most of their lives in different countries, have tight-knit friendships that will last forever.
So I was completely flattered when Catherine and Victoria told me they’d baked something special in my honour.  I was humbled when Garth told me they spent a couple of hours in the kitchen working on it – because they wanted it to live up to my blog.  And I was blown away when I saw these amazing hamburger cookies, with individual layers depicting top and bottom buns (with toffee bit “sesame seeds” on top), cheese, burger, lettuce, ketchup and mustard.  These cookies were one of the highlights of our visit.  Catherine and Victoria – thank you for your amazing gift!  And thanks to your whole family for the priceless gift of your friendship.

Although I don’t have that recipe to share, I’ll give you my recipe for Brown Butter Peach Crumble Bars.  They may not have the visual impact of those gorgeous hamburger cookies but, made with love, they’re pretty good too.
Brown Butter Peach Crumble Bars
(inspired by Brown-Eyed Baker)
For the base:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
For the filling:
3 large or 4 small peaches, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Directions:
Brown the butter by melting it in a saucepan over medium heat.  Continue to cook, swirling pan occasionally, until the butter turns brown and smells nutty.  Put in the fridge for an hour to solidify.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a 8” x 8” baking pan with parchment paper.
When the butter is firm, scrape it into a mixing bowl and add sugar.  Beat for one minute.  Add egg and beat one minute more.  Remove the beaters and stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Pat two-thirds of the mixture into the baking pan and set aside.
To make the filling, place the peaches in a medium bowl.  Sprinkle with lemon juice.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger, then add to peaches and combine just to blend.  Spread over the prepared base.  Sprinkle the rest of the dough over the peaches and pat gently into place.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Filed Under: Bars and Squares, Fruit Desserts

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Paula Montenegro says

    August 11, 2013 at 5:35 pm

    What a sweet gift to you! I do believe love and passion make food taste completely different. Brown butter add it´s own thing to, haha!

    Reply
  2. Gloria Baker says

    August 11, 2013 at 5:55 pm

    Im agree with you Beth, the best is make the food with love and I try this when I begin my blog, the love for the food, the passion for baking, all, and I love your peach crumble bars look awesome!!xo

    Reply
  3. Valerie says

    August 11, 2013 at 7:44 pm

    Beth, I thought that was an actual hamburger! Wow!! Your friend Garth has some raw talent! (I don't think I'd have the patience for that kind of detail.) 😀

    Your crumb bars look scrumptious too! *bookmarked*

    Reply
  4. Neesie says

    August 11, 2013 at 8:42 pm

    I totally agree with you on the cooking with love.
    When I haven't put my heart into a meal I can certainly taste it.
    That hamburger is incredible…how clever ;D
    Your crumble bars don't look so bad either… MMMmmmm Thanks for sharing Beth(♥)

    Reply
  5. Natalie Aguirre says

    August 11, 2013 at 9:04 pm

    So agree with you, Beth. Just reading your blog makes me want to cook more from scratch.

    Reply
  6. Cindy says

    August 11, 2013 at 9:17 pm

    I was looking or a peach recipe–this looks perfect. Thanks.
    I love your, 'friends' story. Good friends at to be cherished. Looks like these friend cherish you. What a fun cookie–love it.

    Reply
  7. grace says

    August 11, 2013 at 10:53 pm

    what a sweet gesture! speaking of sweet, the bars you've featured sound amazing. i'm loving me some peaches right now, for sure.

    Reply
  8. lisa is cooking says

    August 11, 2013 at 10:57 pm

    The hamburger cookies are so cute! What a nice gift. And, peach crumble bars sound delicious right now. I'm rushing to use as many peaches as I can before they're gone for the year.

    Reply
  9. Daniela Grimburg says

    August 12, 2013 at 1:35 am

    A lovely, truly sweet gift.
    As I love anything with peaches in it, I'll try this out soon.

    Reply
  10. Julie says

    August 12, 2013 at 2:06 am

    What a fun gift! Those bars look delicious. I love all things brown butter.

    Reply
  11. Sue says

    August 12, 2013 at 2:42 am

    Awesome labor of love on the hamburger cookies! How sweet is that?!? Your crumb bars look delectable!

    Reply
  12. kumars kitchen says

    August 12, 2013 at 9:23 am

    such a lovely gift, yes how true about the homemade food…it can never be the same outside cause at home it is made with love and care…peach bars are a must try for us this weekend 🙂

    Reply
  13. Belinda says

    August 12, 2013 at 11:28 am

    That is so super sweet. No, nothing beats homemade!!

    Reply
  14. Lynne Daley says

    August 12, 2013 at 12:29 pm

    I haven't visited your blog in a very long time! It's still as brilliant as it was when I last visited. I have some beautiful peaches on my counter and have just found your bars will be a perfect fit for them. Thanks!

    Reply
  15. Joanne says

    August 12, 2013 at 12:47 pm

    The bits of love that go into homemade food are definitely what sets it apart from anything pre-made!! These bars sound amazing. Perfect use of summer peaches!

    Reply
  16. Katerina says

    August 12, 2013 at 4:15 pm

    Love is the most important ingredient in homemade food Beth! This is the one that makes food from home so special! You got such a lovely gift and your bars are delicious!

    Reply
  17. Liz Berg says

    August 13, 2013 at 12:49 am

    Those hamburger cookies are too darn cute…and definitely made with love! And your peach bars look amazing, too.

    Reply
  18. Chris Scheuer says

    August 13, 2013 at 1:19 am

    There's nothing like life-long friends like this, how sweet of them to bake for you. Their hamburger cookies are darling!

    Reply
  19. Sarah says

    August 13, 2013 at 5:41 am

    Wow! What a wonderful gift, those cookies are incredible. And these bars sound lovely too.

    Reply
  20. Roz Corieri Paige says

    August 13, 2013 at 3:57 pm

    I am saving this recipe to make with all of the fresh peaches we're still enjoying! Love the brown butter in these! Thanks so much for sharing this treat!

    xo
    Roz

    Reply
  21. Monet says

    August 13, 2013 at 10:54 pm

    Oh how sweet. This warmed my heart. Aren't friends like this the best? Such a creative (and surely delicious) idea!

    Reply
  22. Guru Uru says

    August 14, 2013 at 8:04 am

    This is beautiful, both friends and recipe 😀

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    Reply
  23. Kathy says

    August 14, 2013 at 1:45 pm

    How lovely to have such thoughtful and life long friends! Those cookies are simply beautiful! I also love the Browned Butter Peach recipe…heavenly!!

    Reply
  24. Kitchen Riffs says

    August 14, 2013 at 4:08 pm

    I totally agree food is love – at least the preparing of it is. These cookies are amazing! Really good stuff – thanks.

    Reply
  25. Juliana Levine says

    August 14, 2013 at 5:42 pm

    Oh Beth, the sounds of this peach crumble is to die for…like the idea of brown butter, so much tasties…and yes, homemade food is made with love.
    Hope you are having a fabulous week 😀

    Reply
  26. Andrea_TheKitchenLioness says

    August 14, 2013 at 6:05 pm

    Beth, what a wonderful post about friendship and what a great and thoughtful gift you received – these cookies ceratinly look like they were baked with lots of love!

    Reply
  27. Angie Schneider says

    August 14, 2013 at 6:44 pm

    I am with you about food is love. This is a sweet and warming post, Beth. These peach crumble bars are scrumptious.

    Reply

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