Chestnut Honey Squares
Published December 17, 2013
Jeff Kauck
- Total Time
- About 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
FOR THE PASTRY
120 grams (¾ cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
45 grams (½ cup) almond meal (see note)
35 grams (3 tablespoons) sugar, preferably unrefined vanilla sugar (see note)
½ teaspoon salt, preferably fine sea salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
1 large egg yolk
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
FOR THE TOPPING
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
80 grams (1 cup) sliced almonds
30 grams (⅓ cup) candied orange or lemon peel, cut into tiny cubes
65 grams (⅓ cup) sugar, preferably vanilla sugar
2 tablespoons chestnut honey or other intensely flavored honey
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Nutritional analysis per serving
8 grams carbs; 15 milligrams cholesterol; 87 calories; 2 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 6 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 37 milligrams sodium; 1 gram protein; 4 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9 ½-inch-square baking pan with parchment, letting it hang over the sides for easier removal later.
- Step 2
Prepare the pastry: In a food processor, combine flour, almond meal, sugar and salt. Pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of water. Pulse to incorporate. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water through the feed tube, tablespoon by tablespoon, pulsing until just before the pastry forms a ball. You may not need all the water.
- Step 3
Turn the dough out into the prepared baking pan. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan. Place in the oven on the center rack and bake until the pastry begins to brown around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Step 4
While the pastry is baking, prepare the topping: In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the almonds, candied peel, sugar, honey and vanilla extract. Heat just until the ingredients are incorporated.
- Step 5
Remove the pan and spread the almond-honey mixture evenly over the pastry. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the topping is a deep gold, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and transfer to a rack to cool in the pan. Once it has cooled, remove from the pan and cut into 32 squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Whole, unblanched almonds can be finely ground in a food processor to make almond meal. To make vanilla sugar, cut 1 or several vanilla beans in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and reserve for another use. Dry vanilla bean halves at room temperature and place in a large jar of sugar. Store for several weeks to scent and flavor the sugar.
Private Notes
Comments
These were beautiful. I used clover honey and omitted candied lemon/orange peel because they were unavailable at my store. To be honest I don’t think you need a specific type of honey or candied peel for this. To make the vanilla sugar, I mixed the sugar with a tiny bit of powdered vanilla extract, which blends easily with the sugar and is a light color so it didn’t discolor anything. This was extremely easy to make and not overly sweet. I can’t imagine anyone wouldn’t love these.
I love this idea, but I'd also love to use more honey and less white sugar in the topping for a more intense honey flavor. Any suggestions, anyone?
These were outstanding. Easy and excellent as a make-ahead recipe.
I love this idea, but I'd also love to use more honey and less white sugar in the topping for a more intense honey flavor. Any suggestions, anyone?
Why in the world would you do the good work of listing the dry ingredients by weight, and then the honey and butter in Tablespoons? Amateur hour over here.