Danish Pear-Apple Bars

My husband isn’t partial to summer fruit- with the exception of freshly picked strawberries. He loves bananas, Bartlett pears, and cantaloupe. 🙂 Before the summer berry and peach baking season, I made these pie bars to embrace sweet and juicy Bartlett pears.

The bars have a Danish-style pie crust which very tender because it incorporates milk and egg yolks instead of ice water. It was really delicious. I also loved the cream cheese glaze spread over the top.

This recipe was adapted from 100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen with Classic Cookies, Novel Treats, Brownies, Bars, and More by Sarah Kieffer. I weighed most of the dry ingredients as well as the peeled and cored fruit. I also used fine sea salt and omitted the brandy.

It was a wonderful springtime dessert but it would also be fabulous for Thanksgiving.

For the Crust:

• 1/2 cup (120 g) whole milk, plus 1 or 2 T if needed
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 1/2 cups (355 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 T granulated sugar
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 cup (2 sticks or 227 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 20 pieces

For the Apple-Pear Filling:

• 8 cups (1100 g) Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and sliced 4mm thick (I used 6 organic pears)
• 1 cup (150 g) peeled and grated Gala apples (I used one large Gala apple)
• 1/3 cup (65 g) light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, plus 2 T for sprinkling
• 3 T cornstarch
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 T unsalted butter, melted
• 1 T brandy (I omitted it)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Egg Wash:

• 1 large egg
• pinch of fine sea salt
• 1 T (15 g) water

For the Cream Cheese Glaze:

• 2 oz (57 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 T whole milk
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• pinch fine sea salt
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups (120 to 145 g) confectioners’ sugar

To Make the Crust:

1. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the milk and egg yolks. Place in the refrigerator.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the flour, granulated sugar, and salt on low speed until combined.
3. Add half of the chilled butter and mix on low speed until the butter is just starting to break down, about 1 minute.
4. Add the rest of the butter and continue mixing until the butter is broken down in various sizes. (most should be the size of small peas but some pieces may be larger) Make sure that all of the flour is moistened.
5. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the milk-egg mixture, and mix until the dough starts to come together. If the dough is having trouble coming together, add 1 or 2 more tablespoons of milk.
6. Divide the dough in half, place each piece on a separate piece of plastic wrap and flatten each slightly into a square.
7. Cover and refrigerate until cool but still soft, about 45 minutes.
8. On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll one square of the dough into a 9×13-inch rectangle (22×33 cm). (I covered the top with plastic wrap and rolled the dough 1/8-inch thick, using a bench scraper to cut pieces and patch to form the proper shape.)
9. Transfer the dough to a 9×13-inch metal baking pan. Gently pat the dough into the bottom. Place the pan in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
10. Roll out the second square of dough into a 9×13-inch (22 by 33 cm) rectangle using the same method. Place on an inverted sheet pan in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

To Make the Filling:

1. Use a food processor to slice the pears 4mm thick and coarsely grate the apple(s).
2. Combine the sliced pears, grated apple, brown sugar, 1/4 cup (4 T or 50g) granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl.
3. In a small liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine the melted butter, brandy (if using), and vanilla. Pour over the pear-apple mixture and toss to combine.

To Make the Egg Wash:

1. Whisk the egg, salt, and water together in a small bowl; set aside.

To Assemble:

1. Fill the prepared pie shell with the pear-apple mixture and smooth the top.
2. Remove the top crust chilling on the inverted sheet pan from the refrigerator. Place the dough over the top of the filling. (It does not need to be sealed to the bottom layer.) Trim any excess with kitchen shears or a sharp knife.
3. Gently cut a few steam vents into the top layer of dough. (I cut 11 vents.)
4. Chill the pie in the pan in the freezer for 20 minutes while the oven preheats.
5. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
6. Place a sheet pan on the oven rack while the oven is preheating. (The preheated sheet pan helps crisp the bottom of the pie crust.)
7. When the pie is ready to bake, brush the top of the pie with the egg wash. Sprinkle the top with the 2 T reserved granulated sugar.
8. Transfer the pie to the preheated sheet pan and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling. (I baked mine for 50 minutes.)
9. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool while you make the icing.

To Make the Cream Cheese Glaze:

1. In a small bowl, use a hand mixer to mix the cream cheese, milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
2. Add 1 cup (120 g) of the confectioners’ sugar and mix again until smooth. If the mixture is too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar until the desired consistency is reached.
3. Once the bars are cool, top them with the glaze; spread to the edges.

Note: The pie bars are best eaten the same day they are made but can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Pumpkin Pie Bars

Pecan pie bars are a favorite Thanksgiving dessert in our house. I chose this pumpkin pie version to serve along with a tried and true brown-butter and vanilla bean apple pie for our intimate Thanksgiving feast. (Yes, we had leftover dessert for at least a week!)

This recipe was adapted from a “staff favorite” Food and Wine recipe, contributed by Sarah Jordan. I appreciated the press-in crust and we all absolutely loved the consistency of the bars. Pie bars have the bonus of easier portion control too- which is crucial on Thanksgiving. 😉 Great.

Yield: Makes on 9×13-inch pie

For the Press-In-Crust:

• 2 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour sifted with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter with the sugars at medium speed for 2 minutes.
2. With the mixer at low speed, beat in the sifted flour-and-salt mixture.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°, preferably on convection.
4. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing 2 inches of overhang on the 2 long sides. (I used a pyrex pan.)
5. Transfer the dough to the pan and press it over the bottom and 1 1/4 inches up the side all around. (You can cover the dough with plastic wrap and press with the bottom of a measuring cup.) Be sure the corners are not too thick.
6. Refrigerate until firm.
7. Bake the crust for 25 to 35 minutes, until golden brown; halfway through baking, use the back of a spoon to smooth the sides and corners of the crust.
8. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the crust cool before filling.

For the Filling:

• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom, optional (I omitted it)
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 large eggs
• One 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
• One 12-ounce can evaporated milk
• Baked Press-In Crust (above)
• crème fraîche or whipped cream, for serving, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 425°, preferably on convection.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the sugars with the spices and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs.
4. Whisk in the sugar mixture, then whisk in the pumpkin puree and the evaporated milk until smooth.
5. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 10 minutes.
6. Lower the oven temperature to 350° and bake for about 25 minutes longer, until the filling is fully set.
7. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool completely.
8. Cut into bars and serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche, as desired.

Note: Bars should be stored in the refrigerator. Serve chilled or at room temperature. (I prepared them a day prior to serving.)

Key Lime Bars with Vanilla Wafer Crust

These sweet-tart bars are a wonderful summer dessert. They transport well and are perfect for sharing.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Samantha Seneviratne. The dollop of lightly sweetened freshly whipped cream was essential.

Yield: 16 bars

For the Crust:

• 1 (11-ounce) box vanilla wafers
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 8 tablespoons/115 grams unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling:

• 1 ¾ cup/420 milliliters condensed milk (1 14-ounce can plus 1/2 cup)
• 5 large egg yolks
• ¾ cup/180 milliliters Key lime or conventional lime juice (from 5 to 6 conventional limes or 12 Key limes)
• 1 teaspoon lime zest

For the Topping:

• 1 cup/240 milliliters cold heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides.
3. In a food processor, combine vanilla wafers and sugar, and pulse until you have fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and process until evenly moistened.
4. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press it down into an even layer. (I use the base of a dry measuring cup.)
5. Bake until fragrant and a shade darker, 14 to 17 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together condensed milk, egg yolks, lime juice and lime zest.
7. Pour filling over crust (it’s okay if it’s still warm) and bake until the filling is set, about 15 minutes.
8. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
9. Use a sharp knife to release edges. Using the parchment overhang, carefully lift and transfer the bar to a cutting board.
10. Just before serving, whip heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar until soft peaks form. (I use a chilled bowl.)
11. Cut bars into 16 squares. Top each bar with a dollop of whipped cream to serve.

Key Lime Bars

I have a few bar desserts to share. Great for a crowd, party or pot luck event. I have made all of these desserts on more than one occasion! Quite an endorsement. 🙂

These tart, tangy, and sweet bars were fabulous- the crust was absolute perfection. I made them off-season and used bottled Key lime juice. They are a must try with fresh Key lime juice! Fresh Key lime slices would also be a lovely garnish.

This recipe was adapted from the Key lime pie from Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami Beach, via Martha Stewart Living.

Yield: 16 bars

• 1 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons finely ground graham cracker crumbs (8 full cracker sheets)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 large egg yolks
• finely grated zest of 1 lime (about 1 1/2 tsp)
• 2/3 cup fresh or bottled Key lime juice (about 23 Key limes total)
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream, for garnish, optional
• 2 Key limes, thinly sliced into half-moons, for garnish, optional
• confectioner’s sugar, for garnish, optional

1. Make crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection. Line a 8-inch square, or equivalent, baking dish with parchment paper, letting it hang over 2 sides.
2. Using a food processor, pulse graham crackers into fine crumbs.
3. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a small bowl. Press evenly onto bottom of the prepared baking dish. (I used the bottom of a dry measuring cup.)
4. Bake until dry and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. (Leave oven on.)
5. Make filling: Put egg yolks and lime zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on high speed until very thick, about 5 minutes.
6. Reduce speed to medium. Add condensed milk in a slow, steady stream, mixing constantly. Raise speed to high; mix until thick, about 3 minutes.
7. Reduce speed to low. Add lime juice; mix until just combined.
8. Spread filling evenly over crust using a spatula.
9. Bake, rotating dish halfway through, until filling is just set, about 10 minutes.
10. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or overnight).
11. Cut into 2-by-2-inch bars.
12. Put cream in the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the clean whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Garnish bars with confectioner’s sugar, whipped cream, and/or a slice of lime, as desired.

Note: The bars will keep, wrapped in plastic, in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Strawberry Pie Bars

I had my eye on this recipe way before I even went strawberry picking…and these pie bars met every expectation. 🙂 This recipe is from Joy the Baker. Wonderful!

For the Crust:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Strawberry Filling:

• 2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced into bite-size chunks (about 4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons minute tapioca
• Confectioners’ sugar, for topping

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Line an 8×8-inch square pan with parchment paper so that the paper hangs over two edges of the pan about two inches. This will make the pie bars easier to remove after it’s baked. Lightly spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
3. For the crust, place the butter, sugars, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
4. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour, salt, and cinnamon and mix on low-speed until just combined.
5. Scatter two-thirds of the dough into clumps in the prepared pan, flour your fingers and press the dough across the bottom of the pan and up the sides of the pan about 1/2-inch. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
6. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and set aside to cool while you prepare the topping and filling.
7. In a small bowl combine the remaining crust and pecans. Stir until combined and set aside.
8. In a medium bowl toss together the sliced strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, and spices. Allow to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes until some juices develop in the bottom of the bowl.
9. After the juices have developed, add the melted butter and the instant tapioca. Stir to combine. The tapioca will look coarse within the mixture but it will dissolve in the oven.
10. Spread the strawberries evenly over the crust.
11. Pinch medium pieces of remaining dough with your fingers and drop them evenly over the top of the strawberry mixture (they won’t cover the top completely but do your best to cover).
12. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the topping is brown and the strawberry mixture is bubbling. (If there are still tapioca bits, take the pan out of the oven and gently stir those berries in so the tapioca gets moistened.)
13. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
14. Chill in the refrigerator to easily remove the bars from the pan. Once cooled, remove from the pan and dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Note: The bars can be stored, wrapped individually or covered in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Peach-Pie Crumble Bars

It is going to be really difficult not to make these cookie-like pie bars with my next batch of CSA share peaches. They were really good. The thick bottom crust has a nice crumb but is also a little bit brown and crisp on the bottom. A great combination of textures. The center is a fruity, jammy, and chunky pie filling… Mmmmm…. I also love that the peaches don’t have to be peeled! The only downfall is how long it takes to cool before being sliced. 🙂

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living. I used a blend of my CSA share yellow peaches and white donut peaches. I also reduced the baking time for a convection oven and covered the pan halfway through baking to prevent over-browning. (I may reduce the temperature to 350 degrees next time and increase the baking time? This would allow the top to brown more evenly without over-crisping the bottom of the crust.) The original recipe suggests replacing the peaches with other seasonal fruit such as nectarines or apricots, and, in the fall, apples. I’m looking forward to trying it with apples. Great!

I’m bringing this summer treat to share at Angie’s Fiesta Friday #83 hosted by Elaine @FoodBod and Jhuls @The Not So Creative Cook. Enjoy! 🙂

For the Crust:

• 1 stick plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt

For the Filling:

• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds peaches, pitted and cut into a 1/2-inch dice (3 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-by-8-by-2-inch cake pan. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides; butter parchment. (I used cooking oil spray.) (Consider baking at 350 degrees and increasing the baking time.)
2. Make the Crust: Beat butter with sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down bowl. Add flour and salt; beat until dough forms clumps but does not completely hold together. Press 2 1/2 cups flour mixture into bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan. (I used the bottom of a dry measuring cup.)
3. Make the Filling: Stir together peaches, sugar, flour, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl.
4. Pour the filling into the crust.
5. Crumble remaining flour mixture evenly over top, squeezing to create clumps. Bake until bubbling in center and crust is golden, about 1 hour on convection or up to 1 hour, 10 minutes in a standard oven. (If browning too quickly, tent top with foil- I covered mine after 35 minutes in the oven.)
6. Let cool 20 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Cut into 2-inch squares.

One Year Ago:

• Raspberry Custard Tart

Two Years Ago:

• White Peach & Raspberry Cobbler with Butter Biscuits
• White Peach Vanilla Bean Jam with Cinnamon

Pecan Pie Bars

I used to think that I wasn’t a fan of pecan pie, so, I have never made it before. This was our absolute favorite dessert this Thansgiving. It pays to branch out! 🙂 This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Sarah Jordan. It has an easy press-in crust and gooey filling. We ate them at room temperature. AMAZING!!

For the Crust:

• 2 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour whisked with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter with the sugars at medium speed for 2 minutes. With the mixer at low speed, beat in the flour-and-salt mixture.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing 2 inches of overhang on the 2 long sides. Transfer the dough to the pan and press it over the bottom and 1 1/4 inches up the side all around. (You can cover the dough with plastic wrap and press with the bottom of a measuring cup.) Be sure the corners are not too thick. Refrigerate until firm (about 45 minutes to 1 hour).
3. Bake the crust for 25 minutes (convection) to 35 minutes, until golden brown; halfway through baking, use the back of a spoon to smooth the sides and corners of the crust. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the crust cool before filling.

For the Filling:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups pecan halves
• Baked Press-In Crust (recipe above)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over moderate heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the light corn syrup and dark brown sugar, then whisk in the eggs until thoroughly blended. Whisk in the vanilla extract and salt and stir in the pecans halves until combined.
2. Pour the pecan filling into the prebaked pie bar crust and bake for about 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool completely. Cut into bars and serve.

Make Ahead: The pecan pie bars can be refrigerated overnight. Serve chilled or at room temperature.