Christmas Baking
Walnut Meringue Bars: A No-Roll Butter Base With Tart Jam and a Crisp London-Style Walnut Topping
London bars with a soft no-roll butter base, tart jam and a golden walnut meringue topping.
NutritionApproximate, per serving
Instructions
Beat the softened butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Beat for at least 2 minutes, until the mixture is airy.
Add the egg yolks one at a time. Beat for about 30–40 seconds after each addition so the emulsion does not break.
Add the salt and milk and mix briefly. Then, by hand or on the lowest speed, fold in the flour mixed with the baking powder, and the lemon zest. You get a soft, spreadable batter.
Line a 12×10-inch (30×25 cm) pan (or a larger sheet pan if you want thinner bars) with parchment paper. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly over the whole surface.
Make the meringue: beat the egg whites with the granulated sugar until stiff and glossy. Finally, gently fold in the ground walnuts by hand.
Spread a layer of jam over the raw batter. Don't be afraid to use more, it adds juiciness.
Spread the walnut meringue over the jam and smooth the top. Sprinkle generously with the chopped walnuts.
Bake in a heated oven at 350°F (180°C) for about 25–30 minutes. Watch the color: the walnut topping should be golden, not burned.
Let the cake cool completely, and only then cut it into neat bars.
- Ingredient temperature is key: The butter and the eggs should be at the same room temperature, otherwise the mixture can curdle while beating.
- Which jam to choose? Tart jams (red currant, sour cherry) are best. They contrast nicely with the sweet walnut meringue.
- Crisper base: If you prefer a more baked base, pre-bake the yellow base for 10 minutes at 350°F (180°C), take it out, spread on the jam and meringue, and finish baking.
- Coconut version: Use shredded coconut in the meringue instead of ground walnuts for a more exotic bar.
- Gluten-free: Replace the flour with a good gluten-free all-purpose baking blend. The batter works just as well.