Honey Nut Squares Recipes

HONEY NUT SQUARES

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Butter a 9-inch square metal baking pan (2 inches deep) and line with 2 crisscrossed sheets of foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Butter foil.
• Blend together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Add egg and stir with a fork (or pulse) until a crumbly dough forms.
• Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together with scraper.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Press dough evenly onto bottom (but not up sides) of baking pan and bake in middle of oven until edges are golden and begin to pull away from sides of pan, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.
• Make topping:
• Bring honey, brown sugar, and salt to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then boil, without stirring, 2 minutes. Add butter and cream and boil, stirring, 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in all nuts until completely coated.
• Pour nut mixture over pastry crust, spreading evenly, and bake in middle of oven until topping is caramelized and bubbling, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack. Lift dessert out of pan using foil overhang and cut into 25 squares.

HONEY-PECAN SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13x9-in. baking pan with parchment, letting ends extend up sides of pan. In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour. Press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 16-20 minutes or until lightly browned. , In a small saucepan, combine the first six filling ingredients; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute. Remove from the heat; stir in pecans and maple flavoring. Pour over crust., Bake 10-15 minutes or until bubbly. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Lifting with parchment, transfer to a cutting board; cut into bars.

DATE-NUT HONEY BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk flour, oats and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Press onto bottom and 1/2 in. up sides of an ungreased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake until edges begin to brown, 16-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack., For filling, in a large saucepan, combine honey, apple jelly and butter over medium heat; stir until jelly and butter are melted. Remove from heat; whisk in brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; whisk into honey mixture. Fold in walnuts and dates. Pour over crust; spread evenly. Bake until golden brown, 24-28 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.