Brown butter and cherry oat squares
These oaty bars from Eleanor Ford are made by cooking a buttery, flapjack-like layer over a short, rich and only lightly sweetened biscuit layer. Mahleb will definitely require a trip to a speciality store, but it’s worth the trip. There is nothing else quite like it, but Eleanor notes that 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or a grated tonka bean are a good alternative.
This recipe is taken from A Whisper of Cardamom by Eleanor Ford (Murdoch Books, £26) Photography: Ola O. Smit
Eleanor says: 'Two flavour boosters are at work in these crumbly based, gooey-topped bars. Firstly mahleb, the kernel found inside the pit of the mahaleb cherry. It is a spice much used in enriched Greek breads and Middle-Eastern bakes for its bewitching, fruity-floral, slightly almondy aroma. Rather inevitably, it is wonderful with cherries. Butter is the second. Taking it beyond melting point until its milk solids gently toast gives a caramel nuttiness that is transformative. A tip if, like me, browned butter is your baking vice: up the ante by adding a little dried milk powder to scale up those precious brown flecks.'
Spice switch: Spice the biscuit base with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or a grated tonka bean.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
Biscuit base
- 1/2 tsp mahleb kernels, finely ground
- 115g of plain flour
- 30g of granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 100g of unsalted butter
Oaty top
- 60g of unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp milk powder
- 70g of dark muscovado sugar
- 50g of granulated sugar
- 1 pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100g of rolled oats
- 80g of sour cherries, whole
- 2 eggs
Equipment
- 20x20cm square cake tin
Method
Line a 20cm (8 inch) square tin with an overhanging layer of baking parchment. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan (350°F)
Finely grind the mahleb and set aside for a couple of minutes to help the bitter flavours dissipate. (If you are using ready-ground mahleb, increase the quantity by about half, as the flavour will be muted.)
- 1/2 tsp mahleb kernels, finely ground
Put the mahleb, flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the cold butter cubes and blend until the mixture comes together into clumps of dough. Press these into the baking tin to form an even base. Bake for 15–20 minutes to a pale golden biscuit
- 115g of plain flour
- 30g of granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 100g of unsalted butter
Meanwhile, make the oat top. Put the butter and milk powder (if using) in a medium pan over a medium heat. Cook, stirring often, as first the butter melts then fizzles until the milk solids turn a delicious golden brown under the foamy top
- 60g of unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp milk powder
Remove from the heat and stir in the sugars and salt. Leave to cool for 5 minutes or so before mixing in the remaining ingredients
- 70g of dark muscovado sugar
- 50g of granulated sugar
- 1 pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100g of rolled oats
- 80g of sour cherries, whole
- 2 eggs
Spread the oaty mixture over the cooked biscuit base and return to the oven for 15–20 minutes. The top should be firmly set and golden
Leave to cool completely in the pan for a few hours before cutting into squares
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