Sinking your teeth into one of these almond-ginger bars from The Good Neighbor Cookbook (Andrews McMeel, Jan.) is like biting into a stick of butter, not something I’d necessarily hold against a recipe, but I think this one would’ve benefitted from less. That said, these bars are pretty heavenly, if sinfully so. A rich shortbread crust is topped with a chewy caramel-like layer of almonds infused with the subtle, lingering spiciness of ginger. These would make an excellent accompaniment to tea. The serving size is small, a two-bite portion, which is really all you need. I’d make these again because the recipe is so simple, but I’d experiment with using less butter in the crust and maybe add a little almond extract.
Almond-Ginger Bars from The Good Neighbor Cookbook by Sara Quessenberry and Suzanne Schlosberg
Makes 32 squares
Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
½ cup sugar
14 tablespoons (1 ¾ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Filling:
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cups sliced almonds
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Butter or spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
For the crust, in a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, butter, and salt until crumbly and it holds together when squeezed. Using your fingers, press the dough evenly over the bottom and ½ inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake until lightly golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, for the filling, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cream and sugar; bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the almonds and ginger. Pour the mixture over the warm crust, making sure the almonds are evenly distributed.
Bake until the almonds are a light golden brown and the edges are crisp, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool for at least 1 hour on a wire rack before slicing.
Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
