Maple Walnut Pie Bars

These bars use a shortbread-style crust and a maple-walnut filling that bakes into clean slices. The texture contrast comes from a tender base, a set custard-like center, and toasted walnut pieces on top.

By Julienne

Cook time: 40 minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 170 g all-purpose flour divided
• 40 g granulated sugar divided
• 2 g fine salt divided
• 120 g unsalted butter cold and cubed, divided
• 15 ml water for the crust if needed
• 140 ml pure maple syrup divided
• 60 g granulated sugar divided
• 1 g fine salt divided
• 20 g unsalted butter cold and cubed, divided
• 3 count large eggs divided
• 60 ml heavy cream divided
• 10 ml vanilla extract divided
• 40 ml pure maple syrup divided
• 180 g walnuts roughly chopped, divided
• 1 g ground cinnamon optional, divided

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 175°C. Line an 8 x 8 inch square pan with parchment, leaving overhang on two sides for lifting. Oven fully preheated and pan lined.
2. Make the crust: in a bowl, combine 170 g flour, 40 g sugar, 2 g salt, and 120 g cold cubed butter. Rub in with your fingertips or cut in with a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like damp crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. If it seems too dry, add up to 15 ml water, 5 ml at a time. Crumbs clump when pressed; no dry flour remains.
3. Press the crust evenly into the pan and prick it all over with a fork. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until the edges look lightly golden. Crust is set and lightly browned at the edges.
4. While the crust bakes, make the filling: in a saucepan over medium heat, combine 140 ml maple syrup, 60 g sugar, 1 g salt, and 20 g butter. Stir until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth, then remove from the heat and cool for 3 minutes. Butter is melted and the mixture is smooth, not boiling hard.
5. Whisk 3 eggs, 60 ml cream, 10 ml vanilla, the remaining 40 ml maple syrup, and the remaining 180 g walnuts into the warm syrup mixture. If using cinnamon, whisk in 1 g now. Filling is glossy and evenly mixed.
6. Pour the filling over the hot crust. Filling is spread in an even layer over the crust.
7. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the center is set with a slight wobble in the middle and the top is deep golden brown. A knife inserted 2 cm from the center should come out mostly clean. Center is set; top is golden and the bars do not slosh when gently shaken.
8. Cool completely in the pan on a rack, then chill for 30 minutes if you want cleaner cuts. Lift out, slice into 12 bars, and serve. Bars release cleanly and hold their shape when cut.