Pear and Apricot Jam Bars
Crust
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into Tbsp. pieces
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Filling
1 cup apricot jam
5-6 firm pears, peeled, cored, and cup into 1/4 inch
slices
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (optional)
Topping
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into Tbsp. pieces
1 cup almond paste (8 oz.) (optional)
1 cup sliced almonds
To make crust: Preheat oven to 350. Coat the inside of a 13x9 inch pan with butter or cooking spray. In a food processor, pulse the butter, sugar, flour, salt and almonds just until the mixture is crumbly, with butter bits the size of peas. Press the crust evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
To make filling: Spread the apricot jam evenly over the top of the crust. Arrange the pears (overlapping if you want more fruit, or side by side for less) evenly over the top of the jam.
Sprinkle evenly with the cranberries.
To make topping: In a food processor, combine the sugar, flour, and salt and process to blend. Add the butter and pulse until crumbly. Break the almond paste into pieces and add with the almond slices to the food processor. Pulse a few times, making sure to leave some larger pieces of almond paste intact. Spread this mixture evenly over the filling. Bake for 20-25 minutes until bars are bubbling and crumb topping is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 2 hours. Wrapped bars will keep for up to 1 week in fridge.
She says to play around with the combinations of this recipe. Like, peaches and pecans, apples and walnuts with some cinnamon. Pears with current jam for Christmas. Almond paste can be omitted and she always leaves the paste out when not using almonds as the primary nut.
I used pecans with 3 pears (no almond paste) and just loved this recipe.
This book is fantastic - tons of recipes. I now judge a cookbook on how many of the recipes I would make vs. not make. This one - almost 100 percent I would make. Great pictures and tips.
Crust
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into Tbsp. pieces
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Filling
1 cup apricot jam
5-6 firm pears, peeled, cored, and cup into 1/4 inch
slices
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (optional)
Topping
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into Tbsp. pieces
1 cup almond paste (8 oz.) (optional)
1 cup sliced almonds
To make crust: Preheat oven to 350. Coat the inside of a 13x9 inch pan with butter or cooking spray. In a food processor, pulse the butter, sugar, flour, salt and almonds just until the mixture is crumbly, with butter bits the size of peas. Press the crust evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
To make filling: Spread the apricot jam evenly over the top of the crust. Arrange the pears (overlapping if you want more fruit, or side by side for less) evenly over the top of the jam.
Sprinkle evenly with the cranberries.
To make topping: In a food processor, combine the sugar, flour, and salt and process to blend. Add the butter and pulse until crumbly. Break the almond paste into pieces and add with the almond slices to the food processor. Pulse a few times, making sure to leave some larger pieces of almond paste intact. Spread this mixture evenly over the filling. Bake for 20-25 minutes until bars are bubbling and crumb topping is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 2 hours. Wrapped bars will keep for up to 1 week in fridge.
She says to play around with the combinations of this recipe. Like, peaches and pecans, apples and walnuts with some cinnamon. Pears with current jam for Christmas. Almond paste can be omitted and she always leaves the paste out when not using almonds as the primary nut.
I used pecans with 3 pears (no almond paste) and just loved this recipe.
This book is fantastic - tons of recipes. I now judge a cookbook on how many of the recipes I would make vs. not make. This one - almost 100 percent I would make. Great pictures and tips.