The Walnut Orange Pie Bars have a delicious buttery shortbread crust and a rich sweet filling full of flavours. These nutty and gooey bars are perfect for the holidays or cold winter sundays.
Servings: 8 people
Equipment
- 1 square cake pan (30 cm x 40 cm/12 in x 16 in)
Ingredients
For the Shortbread (Pie) Crust
- 400 grams all-purpose flour
- 250 grams butter
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 5-6 tablespoons cold water
- pinch of salt
For the Walnut Orange Topping
- 300 grams walnut (no gratered, roughly chopped)
- 200 grams sugar
- 100 grams honey (I use linden honey but any honey or corn syrup is perfect.)
- 100 grams butter
- 5 grams candied orange peels (chopped)
- orange zest (from an orange)
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Pulse flour and salt in a food processor to combine.
- Add butter and pulse until the mix has the texture of breadcrumbs.
- Add cold water over mixture. Pulse until become soft dough. Then dough is little crumbly but holds together when squeezed. If dough is too dry, add more 1-2 tablespoons water and pulse to combine.
- Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 190℃ (375°F).
- Line the square cake pan with a baking paper.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and roll out the dough.
- Put the dough in the prepared baking pan and press down into a level layer.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until just turning a light golden color at the edge.
- While the shortbread base bakes make the walnut orange topping. In a medium pan heat the sugar, honey and butter until they are disolved and combined. Do not bring it boil.
- Pour the mixture to a cold bowl and stir it for 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, orange zest and diced candied orange peels and stir it well.
- Add the wanlut and mix it well once more.
- When the shortbread crust comes out from the oven pour the walnut orange topping over it and smooth.
- Bake for about 20 minutes.
- Allow to cool and cut it.