Finals are approaching and if you have time to commit to a study snack, I have you covered. First of all, I’m not a baker. In fact, I can’t bake cookies to save my life. They always end up being horrible. However, I was blessed with the skill of being able to bake amazing shortbread bars. Who knew? Let’s get started.
To begin, you’ll need:
· 1 ½ cups of flour
· ½ a cup of white sugar
· ¼ teaspoon of baking powder
· ½ teaspoon of Salt
· 1 stick or ½ a cup of unsalted butter
· 1 egg
· ½ teaspoon of ice water
· Fruits of your choice
· Small rectangle baking dish (9×13” or 8×12”)
You’ll also need to grab some measuring cups, a bowl, and a fork (or pastry cutter if you have one).
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 375° F (190° C).
- Sift the flour into a large bowl.
- Add the sugar, baking powder, and salt into the same bowl. (Sometimes, I occasionally like to add a dash of cinnamon just for taste, but that’s totally optional!)
- Take a fork or your pastry cutter and mix the dry ingredients together
- Add in the unsalted butter. Make sure you cut it up into small cubes before adding it into the dry ingredients. Use a fork or a pastry cutter.
- Take the egg and separate it. Put the egg yolk into the mixture and gently use a fork or pastry cutter to mix until you create something of a “dough” texture.
- Take the ice water and drip it over the mixture, so when you go in and grab the dough with your hands it should stick together. Make sure that it is also easy to break apart when you mash it up. The water is optional, but it helps with the texture at the end.
- Take your baking dish and put about ¾ of your mixture into the dish. Pack the mixture down flat with a spoon. Set the rest aside.
- Taking a fruit of your choice (I usually prefer blueberries or raspberries), layer the top of your mixture. Make sure the fruits aren’t too far apart or too close that they’re touching.
- Take the rest of the mixture you set aside and sprinkle it on top and in between the fruits.
- Give the dish a shake to even out the batter so that everything will bake evenly.
- Put it in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown.
- Take out of the oven and wait 15 minutes for it to cool down. Then cut it into bars and enjoy!
These are super easy to make and also easy clean up. Plus, you have the option of mixing it up with so many different fruits. So far, I’ve made this with blueberries, peaches, raspberries, and apples, and the results have turned out great! Enjoy baking!