Raspberry Linzer Bars with Sweet Almond Glaze

Juicy fresh raspberries are layered between a buttery sweet crust and topping infused with the bright flavors of  lemon zest, the final touch is a drizzle of almond glaze to make this a decadent Linzer delight!

 

  

Recipe

Crust

3 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

grated zest of 1 lemon

3 sticks (12oz)  cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks

Filling

4 cups fresh raspberries

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 1/4 Tbsp cornstarch

Glaze

1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar

5 Tbsps heavy cream

1/2 tsp pure almond extract

 

Line a 9 X 13" pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and spray generously with baking spray.  Note - for thicker bars prepare in a 9 X 9" square baking dish.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade pulse together the flour, sugars, salt and lemon zest.  Add the butter and pulse until blended and a coarse meal.  Place 3/4 of the crust mixture onto the bottom of the pan and press firmly to make an even layer on the bottom and slightly up the sides.  I use the bottom of a 2" metal pie pan for easy pressing (see pic below).  Bake in center of the oven until golden brown, about 15 mins, ~ this is when your house will start smelling so good! Remove from oven and let cool.  Reserve the remainder of crust mixture in the refrigerator.

For the filling, stir together the raspberries, sugar and cornstarch, heat on med and simmer, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves and the berries are juicy but not completely broken down, about 2 mins.  Transfer to a metal bowl and let cool.  Spread the cooled filling over the crust.  Crumble the chilled crust mixture over the filling.  Bake about 25 mins until golden and bubbly.  Let cool completely.

For glaze, in a bowl combine the sugar, cream and extract.  Whisk together until combined.  Place glaze in a piping bag and snip a small opening in the end of bag with a scissor.  Pipe over the top of bars in a crisscross pattern.  Refrigerator until chilled, about 1 hour.  Cut into bars.

  Recipe adapted from Sugar Mama's Bakeshop from book "Home Baked Comfort"

Original Recipe and lots more delicious ones can be found in this book, available here:

http://astore.amazon.com/rosscoubak-20/detail/1616282002

Enjoy!

Broccoli Rabe, Italian Sausage and Mozzarella Quiche

What do you do when you and your husband don't like the same foods, but you have a craving for such foods at times?  It happens, it happened to me the other day.  I love Broccoli Rabe and Sausage with Pasta ~ the bitter leafy greens sautéed in garlic and combined with Italian Sausage is delicious to me, but those flavors just don't agree with my husband.  Should one deprive themselves because of different palates?  I say no, never deprive yourself good food, instead reinvent it in a food your husband wouldn't bother with anyway.  For me this was quiche.  I often make these for brunches and my husband won't go near them.  So I googled away and found a recipe from Cooks Illustrated and tweaked a few things to simplify it.  The result was a nice twist on the traditional dish - the great flavors all set in a creamy cheesy custard - perfect for brunch and not my husband :)

Recipe:
1 prepared 9" frozen deep dish pie crust
8 oz sweet Italian sausage, casings removed, alternatively you can use thin sausages with casings intact, see below*
1 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz broccoli rabe, washed, trimmed and cut into 1/2" pieces
1 clove minced garlic
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup whole milk
4 large eggs and 1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
dash of nutmeg
dash of cayenne pepper
6 oz whole mile mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions:
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat and cook sausage removed from the casings, stirring to break up until no longer pink, about 6 mins.  Transfer to a plate and set aside.  *Alternatively the sausage can be kept with the casings if you prefer and thorougly browned in pan on all sides until no pink remains, then cooled and sliced thinly. Saute broccoli rabe in same skillet, cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 6 mins, in last 2 mins of cooking add minced garlic and stir and sauté with the rabe.  Remove rabe and garlic from pan and let cool.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  For the custard:  place cornstarch in large bowl add about 3 Tbsps of the milk and whish until cornstarch is dissolved.  Whisk in remaining milk, eggs, cream and spices until blended and smooth.  Assemble quiche:  scatter sausage, rabe and cheese evenly over crust. 
Gently pour the custard mixture over filling, using a fork gently push filling down into custard.  Bake in center of oven until quiche is lightly browned and set in center and 50-60 mins.  Let cool then serve.

Enjoy!