Rustic Nut Bars Recipes

RUSTIC NUT BARS

Steps:

• Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F and place oven rack in the middle position.
• In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
• Cut the chilled butter into the flour mixture.
• Continue this process with the butter until all the butter is gone and the flour-mixture looks like a coarse meal in pea-sized butter lumps.
• Add the egg to the flour.
• Mix dough using a rubber spatula or (clean) hands until butter and egg are incorporated efficiently.
• Place the dough in a 13"x9" buttered glass baking dish.
• Press the dough evenly on bottom. Do not press up the sides of the dish.
• Place the dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove, allow to cool for 40 minutes and set aside.
• ** (optional) Meanwhile, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• Place the almonds and hazelnuts in a shallow baking dish and roast in the oven from 8-10 minutes.
• Remove, and increase the oven temperature back to 375 degrees F. **(optional).
• In a medium sized sauce pan, bring the honey, brown sugar and salt to a small boil over a medium heat.
• Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Then boil, without stirring for 2 minutes.
• Add butter and cream and continue to boil for one minute, allowing the butter to melt. Remove from heat and add all of the nuts to the syrup, coating thoroughly.
• Spread nut mixture over the cookie crust. Place baking dish back in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the top has carmelized and bubbled.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool in refrigerator for an hour.
• Cut and serve.

MIXED NUT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and salt. Cut in 1/2 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes., Meanwhile, in a microwave, melt butterscotch chips and remaining butter; stir until smooth. Stir in corn syrup. , Sprinkle nuts over crust; top with butterscotch mixture. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

JEWEL NUT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix flour and 1/3 cup brown sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into a lightly greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake 15 minutes. , In a large bowl, whisk together egg and salt; stir in remaining brown sugar. Stir in nuts, cherries and chocolate chips. Spoon evenly over crust., Bake until topping is set, 20-25 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

RUSTIC NUT BARS

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan (2 inches deep) and line with 2 crisscrossed sheets of foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Butter foil.
• Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, then blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-size butter lumps. Add egg and stir with a fork (or pulse) until a ball begins to form.
• Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion. Gather dough together with scraper.
• Press dough evenly onto bottom (but not up sides) of baking pan and bake until edges are golden and begin to pull away from sides of pan, 15 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack, about 40 minutes.
• Make topping:
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Toast almonds and hazelnuts on separate sides of a shallow baking pan until fragrant and golden on the inside, 8 to 10 minutes. Rub hazelnuts in a kitchen towel to remove any loose skins (some skins may remain).
• Increase oven temperature to 375°F.
• Bring honey, brown sugar, and salt to a boil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then boil, without stirring, 2 minutes. Add butter and cream and boil, stirring, 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in all nuts until coated.
• Spread mixture evenly over crust and bake until topping is caramelized and bubbling, 15 to 25 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack. Lift dessert out of pan using foil overhang and cut into 64 bars. Peel bars from foil.