As is usual in later June, usually the first weekend after the summer solstice, I went PYO Strawberry picking today. It wasn’t great weather, and I picked less berries that usual because they seemed smaller, there were less of them, and the impending rain. As usual, I have plans for the berries, so stay tuned. Here is my first recipe: a crumble bar stand-by: Strawberry Almond Crumble Bars. Bursting with fresh strawberry flavor!
Ingredients
for the crust and topping
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to just warm
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
for the filling
1 1/2 cup strawberries, destemmed and halved or quartered
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions
Create a foil or parchment sling for your 9×9 inch baking dish or spray generously with baking spray.
In a medium bowl, mix together butter, sugar, salt, egg yolks and almond extract with a spoon until smooth. Add in the flour and mix until just combined. Remove 2 cups of the crust mixture and press into the lined pan. Mix toasted almond slices in the unused portion of the crust and set aside covered with plastic wrap, but not in the refrigerator. Place the pan in the freezer for 30-60 minutes or so; the chilling of the crust prevents it from expanding and rising too much during baking.
Preheat oven to 325F.
While the oven is preheating and the crust is chilling, make the filling. Combine strawberries, sugar and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium and continue simmering for 8-10 minutes, mashing the fruit against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon. Add the corn starch slurry and let come to a boil. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Remove the crust from the freezer and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes, or until the sides are lightly browned. Then remove from the oven, and increase oven temperature to 350F. Spread the fruit compote on top, and sprinkle the left over crust and almond mixture on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the streusel is lightly browned.
Allow the pan to cool completely before taking the bars out of the pan. Remove the bars by lifting out with the sling and cut.
