Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, divided
• 1/2  tsp salt
• 11/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 peaches, pitted and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp lemon zest

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray  a 13- x 9-inch baking pan with  cooking spray and line with parchment paper.

2 In a large bowl, beat the butter and 2/3 cup of the sugar with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add ½ teaspoon of the vanilla and the salt; mix to combine. Gradually add the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Set aside 11/4 cups of the dough for the topping. Press  the remaining dough firmly into  the prepared pan.

3 Toss the peaches with the lemon zest and the remaining sugar and  vanilla. Layer the peaches over the base and sprinkle with the reserved topping. Bake until golden, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool completely before lifting the  parchment paper from the pan; slice into bars to serve.

Makes 10 bars

Tip: The peaches should be  slightly soft and have  a sweet smell. This  means they’re ripe and  ready for baking.