Zucchini "Apple" Bars
User Reviews
5
Zucchini "Apple" Bars
Description
Zucchini "Apple" Bars feature a filling of peeled, de-seeded, and cubed zucchini cooked with lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until very tender and fragrant. This filling mimics the qualities of an apple dessert while providing a subtle and moist texture. The crust and crumble topping involve mixing flour and sugar with cold cubed butter, then pressing half into a baking sheet and pre-baking it for a brief time to create a firm base. The warm zucchini filling is then poured over before adding the remaining crumble on top to create a layered bar with both crunch and softness.
The sweet, lightly spiced filling pairs with the buttery, slightly coarse crumble, giving a balanced mouthfeel with a tender interior and crisp exterior. The lemon juice brightens the filling and helps preserve the color and freshness of the zucchini. Baking until the crumble is golden brown ensures a pleasing texture contrast. The bars can be cut into squares and served as a snack or dessert.
Uniformly cubing the zucchini ensures even cooking, preventing underdone pieces. The filling should be cooked until translucency and most liquid reduction occurs but retain moistness to avoid dryness in the bars. Properly cutting the butter into the flour and sugar mixture is crucial to achieve a cornmeal-like texture that yields a flaky and crumbly crust that bakes evenly. Excess liquid from the filling might adjust baking times to ensure the bars set properly.
Ingredients
Zucchini Filling
- 8 cups zucchini about 5 lbs of whole zucchinis, fresh, peeled and de-seeded
- 2/3 cup lemon juice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Crust / Crumble
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 ticks salted butter 1 1/2 cups, cubed
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Prep Zucchini Filling
- Peel, de-seed, and cube the zucchinis. Add to a large pot with lemon juice and heat over medium heat.
- Stir occasionally as zucchinis cook and liquid begins to reduce. Cook until zucchini is very tender (about 20 minutes)
- Turn heat down to medium / low and add sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the pot. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Then remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Make Crust / Crumble
- While zucchini is simmering, make your crust / crumble by adding flour and sugar to a large bowl. Mix well and then add cubed butter and cut butter into flour and sugar until all of the butter is well incorporated and it's almost a cornmeal like texture.
- To a large rimmed baking sheet (12 x 16), add half of the crust / crumble dough. Press it down with your fingers to make a thin, flat, even layer across the baking sheet.
- Bake the dough for 10 minutes.
Assemble Bars
- Remove pre-baked crust from oven. Pour zucchini (plus any liquid) onto the crust. Top with remaining crumble in an even layer across the top of the zucchini.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top of the crumble begins to turn brown (Check after 40 minutes as all ovens are little different).
- Let cool and enjoy! Store in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
- Cube zucchini in roughly the same size for even cooking and texture.
- Cook zucchini until pieces become translucent and most liquid evaporates for best filling consistency.
- Pour all cooking liquid from the zucchini filling onto the crust to retain moisture, adjusting baking time if needed.
- Cut butter into the flour and sugar thoroughly to avoid clumps that affect baking and texture of the crumble.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 24Bars
Amount Per Serving
Calories 266 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 266kcal | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 39g | 13% |
| Protein | 3g | 6% |
| Fat | 12g | 18% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Cholesterol | 30mg | 10% |
| Sodium | 105mg | 4% |
| Potassium | 141mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 22g | 44% |
| Vitamin A | 436IU | 9% |
| Vitamin C | 10mg | 11% |
| Calcium | 13mg | 1% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
