It’s that time of year again… when I go to the grocery store and pick up items like eggnog or cranberries, not because I need them but because I feel like I may want them for something at some point. It just feels right. This happened the other day and I ended up with a bag of cranberries, so I went on a search for something new to do with them. I found these beautiful bars and knew they would be a winner. They incorporate an essential flavor of the season, into a wonderfully tasty and VERY crumbly dessert bar.
Brown Butter Cranberry Crumble Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 5 Tablespoons UNSALTED BUTTER, cut into chunks
- 1 cup SUGAR, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon SALT
- 2 EGG YOLKS, slightly beaten
- 1/4 teaspoon ALMOND EXTRACT
- 3 cups + 3 Tablespoons FLOUR
- 12 oz bag CRANBERRIES
- 3/4 cup SUGAR
- 1/4 cup ORANGE JUICE
FOR CRUST AND TOPPING
FOR FILLING
Instructions
- Line a 9x13-inch pan with foil, leaving a slight overhang along the edges. Lightly butter or spray with cooking spray.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Increase the heat to medium and, stirring occasionally, cook the butter until it turns golden brown and develops a nutty aroma. Once browned, remove the pan from the heat and transfer the butter to a heat-proof plate or bowl (it will cool faster on the plate than in the bowl). Cool till lukewarm.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled brown butter, 3/4 cup of sugar, and salt. Stir till well blended. Add the yolks and the almond extract, whisk until smooth. Using a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the flour until you have a stiff dough. Transfer about 2 cups of the dough to the foil-lined pan and press it evenly onto the bottom. Refrigerate the pan for about 40 minutes.
- For the topping, add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar to leftover dough, and using your fingertips, work the sugar into the dough until becomes crumbly and sandy. Set aside.
- In the oven, place one rack second from the bottom, and the other second from the top. Heat the oven to 325 F.
- Remove the pan from the refrigerator and prick the crust several times with a fork. Place the pan on the lowest oven rack and bake the dough for about 15 minutes, just until the crust begins to set. It will still be under baked. While the crust is baking, begin preparing the filling.
- In a medium size saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, and orange juice. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid turns into a thick syrup and the cranberries take on a chunky jam-like consistency, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the filling to cool for about 8 minutes.
- Spread the filling over the warm partially-baked crust. Scatter the topping evenly over the cranberries.
- Place the pan on the highest of the 2 racks and increase the temperature to 350F. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the crumb topping is golden.
- Remove the pan from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Cool for at about an hour before removing the bars from the pan. Cut into bars and ENJOY!!
Printed from Crumbs and Chaos (www.crumbsandchaos.net)
Recipe Source: Une Gamine Dans La Cuisine
