RASPBERRY-CHERRY CRUMBLE BARS

So Sweet! by Sur La Table

(Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2011, $15)

Dough

• 1-3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1-3/4 cups old-fashioned or quick oats (not instant)
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
•  

Filling

• 1 (16-ounce) jar good-quality seedless raspberry jam
• 1 cup dried sour cherries
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
•  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and position an oven rack in the center. Line a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with foil across the bottom and up the two long sides, then lightly coat with melted butter, oil, or high-heat canola-oil spray.
Make the crumble dough. Place the flour, oats, brown sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on low speed until evenly mixed (or place in a food processor and process for 5 seconds). Add the cold butter and mix on low speed until the mixture looks like wet sand and starts to form clumps, 5 to 6 minutes (or process for 45 to 60 seconds, pausing to scrape down once with a spatula).
Divide the dough in half. Pat one half into an even layer in the prepared pan. Set the other half aside. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and crisp. Transfer to a rack and cool for 20 minutes. Leave the oven on.
Make the filling. Empty the jam into a medium bowl and stir well to break up any lumps. Add the cherries and stir until well mixed and all the cherries are coated with jam. Spread evenly over the cooled crust, all the way to the edges. Sprinkle the remaining dough evenly over the filling.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Transfer to a rack and cool completely, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
To serve, run a thin knife or spatula around the edges of the pan to loosen any dough or filling. Lift the cookies out using the foil as handles and place on a cutting surface. Cut into 3 by 1-inch bars. Just before serving, use the fine-mesh strainer to lightly dust the confectioners’ sugar over the cookies. Makes 36 (3 by 1-inch) bars.

DISZNÓKÖ TOKAJI ASZÚ 4 PUTTONYOS 2004

Hungary’s Tokaj region (tokaji.hu) is like no other wine region on earth – it gave the world its first quality and classified wines in the early 1700s. I had the good fortune to visit this estate in September 2011 with Darrell Corti, where the director of the estate, Lászlo Mészáros, gave us a tour. For video and photos of our trip, visit the Corti TV blog.

Disznókö Tokaji Aszú 4 Puttonyos 2004 is a wine made from the handpicked Furmint grapes, which have shriveled on the clusters and begun to cultivate botrytis. These “aszú” berries are macerated in fermenting must or wine for 12-60 hours; after, the aszú grapes – saturated with wine or must – are pressed and fermented. The aszú wines are aged in oak barrels for years, then bottled, and can last for many generations. This wine shows aromas of apricot and citrus with flavors of distinct orange, spicy citrus and light honey, which combine with wonderful acidity. This is a perfect dessert wine, or a dessert all by itself.

— Rick Mindermann
Rick is Store Director of Corti Brothers in Sacramento, personal assistant to Darrell Corti, and Culinary Blogger for Corti TV: sites.google.com/site/tvcorti/home/BLOG.

Photo by Aaron Roseli