Strawberry Chocolate Almond Butter Bars

MAKES ONE 8 × 8 INCH PAN

Almond butter is pretty mild in flavor, but crisp almonds, chocolate, and punchy freeze- dried strawberries make these a special little snack. Feel free to substitute peanut butter or any other nut butter for the almond butter. If your almond butter is unsalted, add an additional pinch of salt to the dough. Toast the almonds in the oven while the bars are baking to save yourself some prep time.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, melted

  Snacking Bakes Yasameen Arefi-Afshar

• ½ cup (125g) salted natural almond butter, well stirred

• 1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar

• 1 large egg, cold from the fridge

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

• 1 cup (128g) all- purpose flour

• ¾ cup (128g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

• ½ cup (55g) toasted sliced almonds

• 2 tablespoons crumbled freeze- dried strawberries

• Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF. Coat an 8 × 8- inch baking pan with cooking spray or brush with butter. Line the pan with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over two of the sides.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the butter, almond butter, and brown sugar until well combined, about 30 seconds.

3. Add the egg, vanilla, almond extract (if using), fine sea salt, and cinnamon and whisk until smooth and glossy.

4. Whisk in the baking powder and baking soda. Fold in the flour with a spatula and mix until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.

5. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and use an offset spatula or your hands to press the sticky dough evenly into the pan. Use a bit of oil or cooking spray on your hands if necessary to keep the dough from sticking.

6. Bake until golden brown and just slightly firm, 23 to 28 minutes. Set the pan on a rack and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the bars. Let it sit for 5 minutes without touching; the bars will deflate a bit and the chocolate will melt.

7. Use a spoon or offset spatula to gently and carefully spread the chocolate over the top (the pan will be hot). Sprinkle the almonds and strawberries over the chocolate followed by a sprinkling of flaky salt, then press gently to adhere.

8. Let the bars sit until the pan is cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes, then transfer the pan to the refrigerator to chill until the chocolate is firm, about 20 minutes, before slicing. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or longer in the fridge.

“Snacking Bakes” Copyright © 2023 by Yasameen Arefi-Afshar. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Crown Publishing  Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.”

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