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In the Oven: Honeycomb Bars

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Next up on the schedule is a recipe that works as well for breakfast as it does for dessert — Honeycomb Bars. Posting date is May 19.

Honeycomb Bars
 
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Yield: 24 bars
Ingredients
FOR THE SWEET TART DOUGH
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons heavy cream
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • Pinch of salt
FOR THE HONEYCOMB BAR FILLING
  • ¾ cup dried cherries, chopped
  • ⅓ cup diced candied orange peel (see page 28)
  • 2 tablespoons cake flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1⅓ cups sugar
  • 1¼ cups heavy cream
  • ⅓ cup honey
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • Shot of brandy or bourbon
  • 2½ cups sliced almonds, toasted
Instructions
Make the sweet tart dough
  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until combined.
  2. In a small bowl whisk together the heavy cream, egg yolk, and vanilla. Add this to the butter and sugar mixture and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and add the flour and salt until just combined.
  3. Turn out the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and form into an oblong disk. Wrap the disk tightly in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9-by-13-inch glass or light-colored metal baking pan.
  5. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle roughly the shape of the pan. Transfer the dough to the pan, and press into the bottom of the pan (do not press up the sides). Don’t worry if you aren’t able to roll out a perfect crust. The dough is quite forgiving and can be pressed, in pieces, into the pan by hand. Cover the dough with a sheet of parchment paper (see page 95). Place dried beans or pie weights over the dough and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment paper and bake for another 5 minutes. Transfer from the oven to a cooling rack. Keep the oven on while you make the filling.
Make the honeycomb bar filling
  1. In a medium bowl, toss together the dried cherries, orange peel, cake flour, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, stir together the sugar, heavy cream, honey, and butter. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and bring the mixture to the soft ball stage, approximately 240 degrees F. Do not stir the mixture while it is coming to this stage.
  3. Once the mixture reaches 240 degrees F., add the brandy and remove from the heat.
  4. Fold the dry ingredients and the almonds into the hot sugar mixture and pour the mixture into the sweet tart crust. Spread the filling evenly, and smooth the top.
  5. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the bar is golden and bubbly.
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting.
  7. Bars can be stored at room temperature, covered and sealed, for up to 4 days.

 

In the Oven: Millionaire’s Shortbread

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Next up on the schedule: the “Rich Man’s Twix.” Posting date is January 27!

Millionaire's Shortbread
 
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Yield: 24 bars
Ingredients
For the shortbread
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1¼ cups (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg yolk, slightly beaten
For the caramel filling
  • 28 ounces sweetened condensed milk (two 14-ounce cans)
For the chocolate glaze
  • 6 ounces dark chocolate (60% cacao), coarsely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
Instructions
Make the shortbread
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter together until blended.
  3. Add 2 cups of the flour and beat until well combined. Add the egg yolk and beat for a few seconds, or until just combined.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough and your hands with a little flour. Use your hands to gently work the dough into a 6-by-6-inch square. You will have to turn the dough and sprinkle the top with flour as you go. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup flour on the surface of the dough. Fold the dough over and knead until incorporated, then flatten the dough into a rectangle. Transfer the rectangle to the prepared pan and press it into the pan.
  5. Prick the dough all over with a fork and bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Make the caramel filling
  1. Stovetop method: Put the sweetened condensed milk in a medium heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan of boiling water over low heat. Cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours, until thick and caramel colored. Remove the bowl from the pan and beat until smooth.
  2. Microwave oven method: Put the sweetened condensed milk in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cook on 50 percent power (medium) for 4 minutes, stirring briskly halfway through, until smooth. Cook on 30 percent power (medium-low) for 12 to 18 minutes, until very thick and caramel colored, stirring briskly every 2 minutes, until smooth.
  3. Pour the caramel filling over the cooled shortbread and place the pan in the refrigerator until cool, about two hours.
Make the chocolate glaze
  1. In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the chilled caramel layer and use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer.
  2. Put in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until the glaze hardens.
  3. Remove the pan from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving so as not to crack the chocolate glaze. Cut into squares and serve.
  4. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 4 days.

 

In the Oven: Baked Bars

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Anything goes for our next bake, a veritable kitchen-sink extravaganza! Posting date is March 25.

Baked Bars
 
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Yield: 24 bars
Ingredients
For the Baked Bar crust
  • 2 cups (about 6 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut
  • 2½ cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs (about 20 crackers)
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
For the Baked Bar filling
  • 1⅓ cups walnut halves, toasted and chopped
  • 1½ cups (9 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
  • ¾ cup white chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • ¾ cup butterscotch chips
  • 3 ¼ cups (26 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
Make the Baked Bar crust
  1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
  2. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan or spray it with nonstick cooking spray.
  3. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, spread out the coconut. Put the baking sheet in the oven and toast the coconut until it starts to turn golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss the coconut, and return it to the oven for 3 more minutes.
  4. Put the graham cracker crumbs in a large bowl, add the toasted coconut, and toss with your hands until combined. Add the butter. Use your hands to combine the mixture, then turn it out into the prepared pan. Using your hands, press the crust into an even layer on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to create a perfectly even crust.
  5. Refrigerate the crust for 15 minutes, then bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let the crust cool completely.
Make the Baked Bar filling
  1. Increase the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
  2. Evenly spread the nuts in the bottom of the crust.
  3. Spread the chocolate chips over the walnuts, followed by the white chocolate, followed by the butterscotch chips.
  4. In a steady stream, pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the filling. Shake the pan very gently to make sure the sweetened condensed milk is evenly distributed.
  5. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan every 10 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
How to store: Baked Bars will keep, wrapped tightly and at room temperature, for up to 4 days.