Erin Gleeson

Honey-Pistachio Bars

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Preparation info

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Makes about

    16

    squares

Appears in

The Forest Feast Mediterranean: Simple Vegetarian Recipes Inspired by My Travels

The Forest Feast Mediterranean

By Erin Gleeson

Published 2019

  • About

In Sicily, we drove through the Zafferana Etnea area (below), which is known for both its pistachio and honey production. We took a gondola ride to the freezing peak of the active volcano Mount Etna, which has one of the most unusual and spectacular landscape vistas I’d ever seen. Volcanic rock peeked through snow, and the sparkling sea was in the distance all around. The lodge at the top offered a tasting table with several types of local honey. My favorite was the pistachio-flavored one, which inspired this shortbread dessert.

Method

Pulse ¾ c (95 g) roasted, salted, shelled pistachios in a food processor, then remove ¼ c (30 g) of it & set aside.

Add ½ c (100 g) sugar, 3 T honey, 2 c (250 g) flour & 1 c (2 sticks/225 g) cold butter cut into chunks to the food processor. Pulse again until well combined.

Press the crumbly mixture into an 8 x 8-in (20 x 20-cm) baking dish. Use a small cup as a rolling pin to flatten the top.

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 min. Remove from the oven, sprinkle the top with the remaining pistachios and a pinch of salt, then drizzle with a bit of honey. Allow to cool 10 min, then cut into 2-in (5-cm) squares.

© 2019 All rights reserved. Published by Abrams Books.

Photos