Apple-Pear-Coffee Streusel Bars
By America's Test KitchenPublished on November 7, 2011
Time
1¾ hours, plus 2 hours cooling
Yield
Makes 24 bars
Ingredients
Crust
2 cups (10 ounces/283 grams) all-purpose flour 1 cup packed (7 ounces/198 grams) light brown sugar 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 piecesFilling
3 large eggs 1 ½ cups packed (10½ ounces/298 grams) packed light brown sugar, divided2 teaspoons vanilla extract ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt 1 Granny Smith apple (large), peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces2 Bosc pears (ripe), peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts 1 cup granola cereal without dried fruit4 tablespoons unsalted butter, meltedInstructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Grease foil.
- For the crust: Combine flour, sugar, coffee, cinnamon, and salt in food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press mixture firmly into prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly.
- For the filling: Whisk eggs, 1 cup sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt together in medium bowl. Stir in apple and pears and spread over cooled crust.
- Bake until filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Toss walnuts, granola, melted butter, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar together in bowl. Sprinkle mixture over hot filling and bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely, at least 11/2 hours. Using foil overhang, remove bars from pan. Cut into 2-inch squares before serving.
Time
1¾ hours, plus 2 hours coolingYield
Makes 24 barsIngredients
Crust
2 cups (10 ounces/283 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup packed (7 ounces/198 grams) light brown sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
Filling
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups packed (10½ ounces/298 grams) packed light brown sugar, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 Granny Smith apple (large), peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 Bosc pears (ripe), peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
1 cup granola cereal without dried fruit
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Ingredients
Crust
2 cups (10 ounces/283 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup packed (7 ounces/198 grams) light brown sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
Filling
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups packed (10½ ounces/298 grams) packed light brown sugar, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 Granny Smith apple (large), peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 Bosc pears (ripe), peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
1 cup granola cereal without dried fruit
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Ingredients
Crust
2 cups (10 ounces/283 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup packed (7 ounces/198 grams) light brown sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
Filling
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups packed (10½ ounces/298 grams) packed light brown sugar, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 Granny Smith apple (large), peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 Bosc pears (ripe), peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
1 cup granola cereal without dried fruit
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Why This Recipe Works
In this Apple-Pear-Coffee Streusel Bars recipe, the cinnamon and coffee flavors really complement each other. Apples are also an integral ingredient, and choosing yellowish or light green Granny Smith apples was a clear indicator that they were ripe. A big part of this streusel bar recipe is also the way the components are prepared: A common melon baller made for easy apple coring, and placing the nuts in a heavy-duty zipper-lock bag and tapping them with a meat-pounding mallet ensured the pieces were the desired size.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Grease foil.
- For the crust: Combine flour, sugar, coffee, cinnamon, and salt in food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press mixture firmly into prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly.
- For the filling: Whisk eggs, 1 cup sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt together in medium bowl. Stir in apple and pears and spread over cooled crust.
- Bake until filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Toss walnuts, granola, melted butter, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar together in bowl. Sprinkle mixture over hot filling and bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely, at least 11/2 hours. Using foil overhang, remove bars from pan. Cut into 2-inch squares before serving.
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