cookie carnival!

Have you heard of the Cookie Carnival? It's an event in which Kate of The Clean Plate Club assigns the groupies a different cookie recipe to make each month. Sounds like fun, right?


This month, the assignment was Blackberry Almond Bars. They consist of a nutty, buttery shortbread crust (frankly, you can stop right there!) topped with a curd made from blackberries. I amended the recipe in three ways. First, I greatly prefer blueberries, so that's what I used. Second, I used an 8x8" dish rather than a 9x13". Finally, guess what I added to the crust? Go on, guess! Oh, you'll never get it. Cinnamon. Of course. I think I might have a problem.


(Yeah, it could've benefited from some powdered sugar to cover those blemishes. I kinda overlooked that part of the instructions.)

I've never curded before. (I have an aversion for the word curd, most likely because it rhymes with turd. Apparently, I'm a nine-year-old boy trapped in the body of a 25-year-old woman. Moving on.) The curding process seemed like quite a bit of trouble, but I can't deny that the end result was mighty tasty.


I'm fairly certain that Kate is always looking for new cookie bakers, so if you're interested, let her know!


And don't worry--it's safe to post this recipe, as it's also on the Williams Sonoma website.

Blueberry Almond Bars
(adapted from this recipe)

Shortbread:
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup ground toasted almonds
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Blueberry curd:
1 pint blueberries
2 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Lightly butter an 8x8" baking dish.

To make the shortbread, combine the butter, flour, almonds, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt until small lumps form. Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press evenly into the bottom. Bake until the shortbread is golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

Meanwhile, make the blueberry curd: In a food processor or blender, puree the blueberries until smooth. Pass the puree through a chinois set over a bowl, using a pestle to press on the solids and extract as much juice as possible; discard the solids. You should have about 1/2 cup juice.

In the top pan of a double boiler or in a nonreactive saucepan, whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar until blended. Then whisk in the blueberry juice, salt, and lemon juice. Set the top pan over but not touching simmering water in the bottom pan, or set the saucepan over medium-low heat. (If using a saucepan, take care not to heat the mixture too quickly.) Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula or spoon, until the mixture is warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Begin adding the butter a little at a time, stirring each addition until blended before adding more. Continue cooking, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, until a finger drawn across the back of the spatula leaves a path, 8 to 10 minutes more. Immediately remove the pan from the heat. Pass the curd through the chinois set over a bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Whisk to blend, then pour the curd over the shortbread, spreading it evenly to the edges.

Bake until the curd is set, about 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into individual bars, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Dust the bars with confectioners’ sugar before serving. (Oops.)

(Gratuitous Longaberger shot, just for you, Misti!)