Tahini Linzer Torte Bars

Name: Tahini Linzer Torte Bars
Yield: Makes 12
Ingredients: ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan; 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour; ¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt; ½ tsp. baking powder; ¾ tsp. ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp. ground cardamom; 2 large eggs; 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar; ⅔ cup high-quality tahini, stirred well; 1 tsp. vanilla extract; Sesame seeds (for sprinkling); 1¼ cups jam of choice; Raw sugar (for sprinkling)

By Sarah Jampel

December 1, 2020

Image may contain Plant Food Leaf Sesame Seasoning Fruit and Produce

Photograph by Laura Murray, food styling by Sue Li

“The cookies of my childhood were always store-bought (Chips Ahoy, SnackWell’s, Oreos), always reduced-fat (the ’90s, baby!), and, when I could manage it, traded for something better in the school cafeteria,” says Sarah Jampel. “This recipe is equally inspired by the poor guy I could never foist off—Mr. Fig Newton—and a much more elegant jam-filled dessert, the linzer torte. Here I swapped out the ground nuts of a classic linzer for tahini, yielding a rich, buttery crust. It’s filled with jam, topped with more dough, and cut into big, unbreakable bars. One of these would’ve gotten me at least a couple packs of Dunkaroos back in the day—if I felt compelled to trade at all.” Unlike a truly woven lattice, this fake version uses strips of dough simply laid on top of each other. Don’t worry if they break—just press them back together and they will fuse as they bake.

Recipe notes