Cherry Streusel Bars

According to Le Cordon Bleu standards, Cherry Streusel Bars may not be stately enough in appearance but this homey comfort pastry proves once more that less can in fact be more. The secret is in simplicity. The perfect Streusel Bar requires a bright fruit filling sandwiched between a rich, buttery shortbread. However, as simple as the formula may be, I have tasted my fair share of Streusel Bars which were more crumb then bar cookie. Most often the barely there amount of jam becomes lost among the crumb, therefore overcooking it to the point of a leathery, flavorless glue.

In order to achieve the perfect Streusel Bar, the first alteration had to start with the dough itself. Utilizing one dough for both the bottom crust and the streusel is economical, but intially problematic. The sturdy bottom crust proved to be a sandy and dry streusel which refused to adhere to the filling making for a crumbly mess. Many formulas avoid this hassle by creating two seperate mixtures for crust and streusel but being in the mindset of a pastry student, time is of the essence and one crust is much more feasible.

Beginning with the bottom crust, a basic shortbread recipe containing pastry flour, sugar, salt, and a heaping load of butter is used to create a firm, sturdy base for the jam. The shortbread crust is then baked until the edges turn golden brown. As much as I hate using so much butter, it is the best and only tenderizer applicable for this formula. With less butter, the shortbread crust becomes dense and unsatisfyingly chewy. With other forms of tenderizers, the crust becomes dry, gritty, and difficult to press.

As the crust bakes, the remaining shortbread dough is combined with light brown sugar, old-fashioned oats, finely chopped pecans, and some more waistline busting butter to create the desired light, crunchy and cohesive crumb topping. Utilizing oats and chopped nuts for the streusel rather than spices adds more complexity in flavor and texture, while the light brown sugar adds a distinct sweetness.

Anyone can make their very own Streusel Bar out of recipes they already have on hand or in the family library. Simply take a simple shortbread recipe, press it into the bottom of a foil lined pan making sure to reserve some of the shortbread dough for the streusel topping. Bake the bottom crust for 10-14 minutes at 375 degrees. Meanwhile, add brown sugar, oats, and a chopped nut of your choice (pecans, walnuts) to the shortbread dough. Add enough butter to form hazelnut-sized clumps (about 2 tbsp.). Once the shortbread crust is golden brown and delicious, spread a generous layer of your favorite flavored jam/preserve (cherry, apple, raspberry), and sprinkle with the modified shortbread streusel topping. Continue baking at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Get creative with your flavors (cherry, apple, raspberry, guava) and textures (pecans, walnuts) to create your very own exclusive streusel bar. Enjoy!!!

*FYI: Streusel means 'to sprinkle' in German
*References: Special thanks to Erika Bruce