This is a delicious nut bar with a hazelnut shortbread base and a crunchy, honey-nut topping.
- Ingredients
- Method
Method
Step 1
Make the base. Put the flour, hazelnuts and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub it in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir through the sugar, then continue to rub until the dough comes together in large clumps. (Alternatively, tip everything into a food processor and pulse until the butter has been rubbed into the dry ingredients and the dough just starts to clump together.)
Step 2
Tip the mixture into the lined baking tin and, using your hands, press it out into an even, smooth layer.Chill the base for 20 minutes while you heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4.
Step 3
Remove the base from the fridge and prick it all over with the tines of a fork. Bake it for 15–20 minutes, until firm and light golden in colour.
Step 4
Meanwhile, make the nut topping. Spread the hazelnuts over a baking tray and roast them in the oven beneath the shortbread base for about 8 minutes, until lightly toasted. Set the nuts aside to cool for 5 minutes, then roughly chop.
Step 5
Combine the butter, sugar and honey in a pan over medium heat, stirring until the butter melts. Add the chopped hazelnuts, then bring the mixture to the boil, stirring all the time. As soon as the mixture boils, take the pan off the heat and leave it to cool slightly.
Step 6
When the base is ready, remove it from the oven (leave the oven on) and spread the apricot jam evenly over the top. Then, spoon over the honey-nut mixture. Place the tin on ta baking sheet and return the traybake to the oven to bake for 30–35 minutes, until the hazelnut topping is golden brown. Keep an eye on the bake towards the end of the cooking time and turn it around if one side is browning faster than the other.
Step 7
Remove the traybake from the oven and leave it to cool for 15 minutes. Then, use a sharp knife to cut it into 6 squares, then cut each square diagonally to form 12 triangular pieces. Set aside in the tin to cool completely.
Step 8
Once the triangles have cooled completely, remove them from the tin and separate them. Dip each corner of each triangle into the melted chocolate to decorate. Leave to set before serving.