Rustic Nut Bars

Total Time: 960 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 960 hrs

Ingredients

• 2 1/3 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3 ounces whole almonds, with skin
• 4 ounces hazelnuts, chopped
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and sliced
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 6 ounces cashews
• 5 ounces pistachios

Recipe

• 1 pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees f and place oven rack in the middle position.
• 2 in a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
• 3 cut the chilled butter into the flour mixture.
• 4 continue this process with the butter until all the butter is gone and the flour-mixture looks like a coarse meal in pea-sized butter lumps.
• 5 add the egg to the flour.
• 6 mix dough using a rubber spatula or (clean) hands until butter and egg are incorporated efficiently.
• 7 place the dough in a 13"x9" buttered glass baking dish.
• 8 press the dough evenly on bottom. do not press up the sides of the dish.
• 9 place the dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
• 10 remove, allow to cool for 40 minutes and set aside.
• 11 ** (optional) meanwhile, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees f.
• 12 place the almonds and hazelnuts in a shallow baking dish and roast in the oven from 8-10 minutes.
• 13 remove, and increase the oven temperature back to 375 degrees f. **(optional).
• 14 in a medium sized sauce pan, bring the honey, brown sugar and salt to a small boil over a medium heat.
• 15 stir until the sugar has dissolved. then boil, without stirring for 2 minutes.
• 16 add butter and cream and continue to boil for one minute, allowing the butter to melt. remove from heat and add all of the nuts to the syrup, coating thoroughly.
• 17 spread nut mixture over the cookie crust. place baking dish back in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the top has carmelized and bubbled.
• 18 remove from oven and allow to cool in refrigerator for an hour.
• 19 cut and serve.