Apple Pear Coffee Streusel Bars (ATK)

• portions: 24 bars

Ingrédients

Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

Filling

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

2 ripe Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

1 cup granola cereal without dried fruit

4 tablespoons unsalted buffer, melted

Instructions

1. For the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare 13 by 9-inch baking pan (see note on page 4). Combine flour, sugar, coffee, cinnamon, and salt in food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press mixture firmly into prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool slightly.

2. For the filling: Whisk eggs, 1 cup sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl. Stir in apple and pears and spread over cooled crust.

3. Bake until filling is bubbling, read into about 30 minutes. Toss walnuts, granola, remaining sugar, and butter in bowl. Sprinkle mixture over hot filling and bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature, at least 1½ hours. Cut into 2-inch squares.

Notes

Trisha writes: "The cinnamon and coffee favors really complement each other."

Note: For all bar cookies, spray baking pan with cooking spray and line with aluminum foil, allowing excess to overhang pan edges. Spray foil with cook- ing spray. Once bar cookies have been baked and cooled, use foil overhang to lift bars from pan. (All bar cookies can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Cooks country 2007 June/ July