Peach Blondies

Now that summer is starting to wind down (finally! already!), I'm taking advantage of all of the fresh summer produce while it's still available. Peaches are definitely my favorite of the fruits in that category, and I'm a little sad that I didn't get to bake with them more this year. I need a board on Pinterest specifically for all of the peachy baked goods I've pinned lately!

I did make these peach blondies earlier this summer, and they were a huge hit with everyone who tried them. The peaches keep the blondies so moist, and the brown sugar and cinnamon give them such a rich, warm flavor. To guild the lily, I whipped up a quick cream cheese glaze for the blondies using some peach nectar I drained from a little plastic cup of the boys' peaches. Although the glaze is definitely optional, I highly recommend it. I thought it complemented the blondies perfectly. Although if you don't feel like making the glaze, I big scoop of vanilla ice cream would be perfect with these...just sayin'.

Peach Blondies

adapted from From Apples to Zucchini

For the blondies:

2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3 medium peaches, peeled, pitted, and diced

For the glaze:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon peach nectar

1. Combine brown sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla and mix until well-blended. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and add to wet ingredients. Fold in peaches. Spread evenly in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

2. To make the glaze, mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and peach nectar until fully combined. If the mixture is too thick, add more peach nectar. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar until it reaches the desired consistency. Spread glaze over blondies.