Pistachio Praline Bars Food

PISTACHIO BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, combine flour and 1/4 cup sugar; mix well. With pastry blender or fork, cut in 1/2 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press mixture in bottom of ungreased 8-inch square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat egg slightly in medium bowl. Add all remaining topping ingredients except pistachios and coconut; mix well. Stir in pistachios and coconut.
• Remove pan from oven. Spoon and spread coconut mixture evenly over warm base. Return to oven; bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 hour 15 minutes or until completely cooled. Cut into bars.

PISTACHIO PRALINES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil 2 large baking sheets and line with parchment paper.
• In a baking pan spread pistachios evenly and toast in middle of oven until fragrant, about 10 minutes. In a bowl toss hot pistachios with butter and granulated sugar and cool completely.
• In a 4-quart heavy saucepan cook brown sugars, cream, and salt over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and washing down any sugar crystals clinging to side of pan with a brush dipped in cold water, until sugars are completely dissolved, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 238°F. Remove pan from heat (leave thermometer in pan) and cool mixture until thermometer registers 220°F, about 5 to 10 minutes. With a wooden spoon stir in vanilla and vigorously stir mixture until creamy and beginning to lose its sheen. Working quickly, drop mixture by teaspoons onto baking sheets and top each praline with 3 pistachios. (If mixture becomes too stiff to spoon, warm it over low heat, stirring, until just workable.) Let pralines stand at room temperature until firm, about 1 hour. Pralines keep, layered between sheets of parchment paper in an airtight container at cool room temperature or chilled, 1 week.