Honey Nut Bars

Honey Nut Bars (and a winner!) (Food and Whine)

Honey Nut Bars

Makes 16 bars

ingredients

For the Crust:

Nonstick cooking spray

1/2 cup whole blanched almonds, toasted

1/2 cup granulated sugar

11-1/4 oz. (2-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. table salt

6 oz. (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 large egg, lightly beaten

For the Topping:

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3 oz. (6 Tbsp.) unsalted butter

1/3 cup clover honey

1/2 tsp. table salt

2 Tbs. heavy cream

3 cups whole unsalted mixed nuts, toasted

method

Make the crust: With rack in the centre of the oven, pre-heat the oven to 350° F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line the bottom only with parchment.

Toast almonds in oven on a baking sheet or microwave. To microwave, place nuts on microwave-proof dish. Heat on high for 1 minute. Stir. Heat for another 45-60 seconds on high.

In a food processor, finely grind the almonds and sugar. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until it's the size of small peas, 5 or 6 one-second pulses. Add the egg and pulse just until the dough begins to gather into large clumps.

With your fingertips, press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan and about 1 inch up the sides to form a 1/4-inch-thick side crust. Using the tines of a fork, dock the crust evenly all over.

Bake until light golden brown on the edges and the centre looks dry, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool the crust on a rack.

Make the topping: Bring the sugar, butter, honey, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often. Slowly add the cream and return to a boil. Remove from the heat and carefully add the nuts, stirring to coat. Pour the nut mixture over the crust and spread evenly with a spatula. Tilt the pan to help spread the liquid to the edges and corners. Bake until the topping has just started to bubble slowly in the centre, about 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then run a knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the crust from the sides. Let the bars cool completely in the pan.

Invert the pan onto a flat surface and peel off the parchment. Re-invert onto a cutting board and cut into 16 bars with a sharp knife.

The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 5 days.

Adapted from a Fine Cooking October 2008 recipe

Many thanks to Food and Whine!!!

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