April 10, 2009

Fig Crumble

Seriously good folks. SERIOUSLY good. Everything I love in a pie (the crust) without the intense work of making a pie! The figs are perfectly sweet and that crunch. THAT CRUNCH. OMG. The buttery-ness of that crumble...the sweet little hint of sugar...the bite! I am in love.

with a crumble bar!!!

Make it. It's FANTASTIC! I am envisioning warming some up and scooping some vanilla gelato on top!

*Swoon*

Fig Crumble Bar
(Everyday Food Recipe)

-3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan
-2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
-1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
-8 ounces dried Calimyrna figs (about 1 1/2 cups), stems removed
-3/4 cup apple juice
-1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan; line bottom and two sides with a strip of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Butter paper; set pan aside.

2. In a food processor, pulse together 2 cups flour and 1 cup sugar. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer half of mixture to prepared pan; with lightly floured fingers, press firmly into bottom. Set aside. Shape remaining mixture into large, moist clumps; transfer topping to a bowl, and set aside. Wipe food processor bowl clean.

3. Make filling: In food processor, blend figs, apple juice, lemon zest, and remaining 2 tablespoons each flour and sugar until a thick paste forms.

4. Using a small offset spatula or table knife, spread filling over crust. Sprinkle with topping. Bake until topping is golden brown, 60 to 65 minutes.

5. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool completely. Using paper overhang, lift crumble from pan, and transfer to a cutting board; cut into 20 bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

***I used SALTED butter for this recipe because I love that salty sweet combo. It's fantastic. I also didn't have apple juice, so I used a Mango Passionfruit juice instead. It worked out great! I think the point is just to be able to lubricate the figs enough to make a paste and add some subtle sweetness. So if you don't have apple juice, substitute it with something else!***

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