Peach, Oat and Almond Crumble Bars

Peach Filling:

4-5 medium peaches, peeled and chopped; or 1 (600 g) bag of frozen peach slices, thawed and chopped (4-5)

1/3 cup granulated sugar (75 mL)

1 tsp lemon zest (5 mL)

1 Tbsp lemon juice (15 mL)

1 Tbsp cornstarch (15 mL)

Base and Crumble:

1 cup all-purpose flour (250 mL)

1 cup large flake oats (250 mL)

1/2 cup sliced almonds (125 mL)

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (125 mL)

1/2 tsp cinnamon (2 mL)

1/2 tsp salt (2 mL)

1/3 cup canola oil (75 mL)

1 large egg (1)

1 tsp vanilla (5 mL)
1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line an 8 x 8 inch (20 x 20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine peaches, sugar and lemon zest and bring to a simmer.
3. In a small dish, whisk lemon juice and cornstarch together and add to saucepan. Gently simmer until mixture is thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the s-shaped blade, combine flour, oats, almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pulse 10 to 12 times until almonds are processed to roughly the size of a grain of rice.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together canola oil, egg and vanilla.
6. With the food processor running, drizzle in wet mixture until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pulse 2 to 3 more times. Texture will be evenly mixed and crumbly. Set aside 1 cup (250 mL) for crumble topping.
7. Press remaining crumble evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan, ensuring it is pushed into each corner.
8. Pour peaches onto cookie base and spread evenly. Sprinkle reserved crumble topping evenly over peaches.
9. Bake at 400°F(200°C) for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F (175°C) and bake for an additional 20 minutes until peaches are bubbly and crumble is golden brown.