Bars

Rustic Nut Bars

5:24 AM

 


Rustic Nut Bars

1 tablespoon plus 3/4 cup cold butter, divided
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, room temperature, lightly beaten
2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, cubed
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted
1 cup salted cashews
1 cup pistachios
1 cup salted roasted almonds

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a 13x9 baking pan with foil, letting ends extend over sides by 1 in. Grease foil with 1 tablespoon butter. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the remaining butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in egg until blended (mixture will be dry). Press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 18-20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. In a large heavy saucepan, combine honey, brown sugar and salt; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar. Boil 2 minutes without stirring. Stir in butter and cream; return to a boil. Cook and stir 1 minute or until smooth. Remove from heat; stir in nuts. Spread over crust. Bake 15-20 minutes or until topping is bubbly. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Lifting with foil, remove from pan. Discard foil; cut into bars.


Almonds

Peach Crumb Bars

8:39 AM



Peach Crumb Bars

Crust and Topping:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter cut into cubes
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Filling:
5 cups sliced peeled peaches approx 6-7 peaches, sliced thin
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
juice of 1 small lemon

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13 pan with foil or parchment, and spray with non-stick spray. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine granulated sugar, baking powder, flour, and salt. Add butter, egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat on low speed until the butter is evenly distributed in small pieces and the mixture is crumbly. Dump a little more than half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Use your hand or the bottom of a measuring cup to evenly press the dough into the pan. Stir sliced almonds into the reserved mixture (for topping)and set aside. To make the filling, gently stir  together until combined, peaches, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Spread the peaches evenly over the crust, then crumble the reserved dough over the top of the peaches.Bake for approximately 40-50 minutes, or until the top is light golden brown and the peach juices are bubbling. Transfer pan to a rack to cool before cutting into squares. I like to store these in the fridge. They can also be frozen.
How to peel a peach:
Drop the peaches into a pot of boiling water for about 15-20 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and place into a large bowl of ice water. Once the peaches have cooled (this happens quickly), you should be able to peel the skin right off using your fingers.