Description
A version of pie bars with buttery shortbread and a crumble top. The perfect gluten-free thing to make to get back to the delicious basics.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the crust and topping:
- 2 1/4 cups (540 ml) lightly packed almond flour
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp tapioca flour
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp finely ground raw sugar or coconut sugar*
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp melted butter or ghee
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
For the frangipane (adapted from Alexandra's Kitchen):
- 1 cup (240 ml) raw almonds
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) raw sugar or coconut sugar*
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) butter, at room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) rum (optional)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) water, plus more as needed
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) frozen blueberries*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease an 8×12 or 9×13-inch pan with butter or ghee.
- To make the crust, whisk together the flours, sugar, and salt. Add the butter or ghee and extracts and mix well with a fork or your fingers. The dough will be crumbly, but should stick together when squeezed. Set aside 2/3 cup of the dough for topping the bars later. Press the remainder of the dough into the bottom of the greased pan to form a crust.
- Bake the crust for about 18 minutes, until light golden brown around the edges. Increase the oven temperature to 350°F.
- While the crust is baking, make the frangipane. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until almost smooth (tiny pieces of almond are fine). Add more water a tbsp at a time if necessary to facilitate blending.
- Spread the frangipane on top of the crust, using a spatula to help it reach all four corners. Sprinkle the frozen blueberries evenly on top of the frangipane, and then sprinkle the reserved dough on top of the blueberries.
- Bake bars for about 30 minutes, until light golden brown on top. Cool completely in the pan, and then slice into bars. I sliced mine crosswise into ten strips, and then cut all the strips in half, but you could also cut them into squares if you prefer.
- The pie bars will keep, covered at room temperature, for up to 2 days. You could probably refrigerate them and store them for a little longer.
Notes
- *I used frozen wild blueberries, but regular-sized and/or fresh berries would also work.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Baking, Dessert
- Cuisine: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 230