Swedish Nut Bars Food

SWEDISH NUT BARS

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Prepare a 9 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan by lining bottom with either waxed paper or parchment paper. Grease the paper.
• Separate the eggs and reserve the whites. Beat egg yolks until thick and tripled in volume. Add sugar slowly, beating until very thick. Slowly fold in nuts and extract. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold them into the yolk mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake for one hour or until done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn out and remove paper. Cool completely. Cut as needed.

SWEET AND SALTY CRUNCHY NUT BARS

Steps:

• Be still my beating heart! Or perhaps this is not the best thing to say here, given the likelihood of this lusciously over-the-top piece of chocolate excess inducing just such an outcome. I wouldn't want to make this very often, so impossible is it to walk away from with any conviction. I fear it is the kitchen equivalent to crack cocaine.
• Still, as the French say "Everything in moderation, even moderation." This is gloriously intemperate, riotously vulgar. I love it.
• The key is the blaring balance between sweet and salty: it's like several klaxons going off in your head as you eat. And it's strange that while I would normally eschew an all-milk chocolate offering, I prefer it here to the bittersweet-and-milk mixed version. Not that either is bad, and since the jury is matched on this, I feel it only right to alert you to either option. For what it's worth, I like the darker version in the round pan and cut into panforte-type skinny wedges, and my preferred milk chocolate version set in a rectangular pan and cut into chunky, squat slabs (rather as I feel and look like after eating too many of them).
• Line your springform pan with aluminum foil or use a foil pan.
• Break up or chop the chocolate into pieces, and drop into a heavy-based saucepan. Add the butter and syrup, put on a low heat, and melt gently together.
• Tip the peanuts into a bowl, and crush the honeycomb candy with your hands, letting the golden-glinting rubble fall into the nuts.
• Take the melted chocolate mixture off the heat and stir in the peanuts and crushed honeycomb candy, then tip straight into the springform pan or foil pan. Smooth the top of the mixture as much as you can, pressing down with a silicon spatula or vinyl-disposable-gloved hand. Put into the refrigerator for about 4 hours, and once set, cut into slices as desired.
• Make Ahead Note: The bars can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer slices to airtight container, layered with parchment paper, and store in refrigerator. Keeps for 3 to 4 days.

SWEDISH NUT BALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, cream together butter and 3/4 cup of the powdered sugar. Add the flour, vanilla and ground pecans. Stir to combine.
• Shape dough into balls, using a slightly rounded teaspoon for each. Place 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake until the edges turn gold, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer cookies to a rack to cool. Cookies can be frozen in an airtight container, with wax paper between each layer for up to 6 months. Defrost 30 minutes. Just before serving, place the remaining cup of powdered sugar in a plastic bag. Add several cookies and shake gently to dust with sugar. Repeat with remaining cookies.

SWEDISH NUTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300°F. Grease 15x10x1-inch pan with shortening or cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix egg white and pecan halves until pecans are coated and sticky.
• In small bowl, mix sugar and cardamom; sprinkle over pecans. Stir until pecans are completely coated. Spread pecans in single layer in pan.
• Bake about 30 minutes or until toasted. Cool completely, or serve slightly warm. Store tightly covered up to 3 weeks.

SWEDISH NUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Beat egg whites until soft peaks begin to form. Add sugar, salt, and vanilla; beat until stiff peaks form and turn glossy. Fold in nuts and coat well with the egg white mixture.
• Melt butter in a 9x13 baking pan by placing pan in the oven. Evenly spread coated nuts over melted butter in pan.
• Bake for 30 minutes, stirring and turning nuts about every 8 minutes, or until butter no longer remains in pan. Place hot nuts on foil and allow to cool. May be stored in an airtight container for several weeks.

SWEDISH RASPBERRY ALMOND BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour and mix well. Press onto the bottom of a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned., Spread jam over crust. In a large bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. Fold in coconut and 1/2 cup almonds. Spread over jam. Sprinkle with remaining almonds. Bake 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with additional confectioners' sugar if desired.

SWEDISH NUT CAKE

Steps:

• For Cake, mix the first 7 ingredients together VERY WELL by hand.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes at 350*.
• Mix all Frosting ingredients together and spread on cake after it cools.