These Fruit and Almond Crumble Bars are SO GOOD, people. Fruity, almondy, chewy, crunchy, sweet. A lot of awesome adjectives.
These bars are cousins of the Dutch Letter Bars I recently shared. The amounts produced are quite different–note that this recipe calls for a 15×10 pan (aka a jelly roll pan). This is a recipe to feed a potluck, truly.
Use whatever fruit spread you want here. I went cheap and used a mixed berry variety I bought at Costco. Cherry would be a more traditional choice. I’d love to make these again using blueberry.
Modified from Better Homes & Gardens December 2023.
Bready or Not: Fruit and Almond Crumble Bars
Almond flavor infuses every bite of these chewy and sweet bars. For the fruit, you can go traditional and use cherry preserves, or go with whatever flavor or blend you want. Modified from Better Homes & Gardens December 2023.
Equipment
- 15x10x1-inch pan (jelly roll pan)
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray or butter
- uneven spatula
Ingredients
Bars
- 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups fruit preserves
- 7 or 8 ounces almond paste
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds
Glaze
- 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 Tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Line a 15x10x1 pan with a large piece of aluminum foil. Add nonstick spray or butter to coat.
- In a large bowl, beat butter to soften. Add both sugars to thoroughly combine. Add both extracts. Beat in flour until just combined, scraping the bottom of the bowl a few times. Press dough evenly into the base of the pan. Bake until set, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Use an uneven spatula to spread fruit preserves over top. Crumble up the almond paste and sprinkle over top. Sprinkle on almond pieces.
- Bake for another 35 to 40 minutes, until both the almond paste and nuts have browned. Cool on a wire rack for a few hours, stashing in fridge to chill faster.
- Mix glaze, adding more sugar or water as needed to create a thick yet drizzable texture. Drizzle on glaze. Let set again, at least 30 minutes, or in fridge.
- Use foil to lift contents onto cutting board to slice up. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The bars can also be frozen fully prepared.
