Tahini Linzer Torte Bars
“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 information
Yield
Makes 12
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Lightly butter a 13x9" baking dish, then line with a sheet of parchment paper, leaving overhang on long sides. Lightly butter parchment. Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and cardamom in a medium bowl.
Step 2
Separate yolk from 1 egg over a small bowl to catch egg white. Place yolk in another small bowl; set egg white aside for brushing dough. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat granulated sugar, tahini, and 1½ sticks butter in a large bowl, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla, egg yolk, and remaining egg and beat just to combine. Scrape down sides of bowl, add dry ingredients, and mix on low speed until just combined. Scrape half of dough into prepared pan. Using your fingers, press into pan in an even layer, going 1" up the sides; chill.
Step 3
Place remaining dough on a sheet of parchment paper and pat into a square. Place another sheet of parchment paper on top and roll into a 13x9" rectangle. Remove top sheet of parchment and generously sprinkle dough with sesame seeds. Replace parchment and press dough gently with rolling pin to help seeds stick. Remove parchment and cut dough lengthwise into ¾"-wide strips (don’t pull them apart; dough will be very fragile). Slide onto a baking sheet and freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
Step 4
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Spread jam evenly over dough in pan. Lightly beat reserved egg white with a fork, then brush all over frozen strips of dough. Retrace cuts to make sure strips are separated, then lay lengthwise over filling (spacing them about ½" apart works well). Cut remaining strips in half and place crosswise on top of strips, pressing into edge of bottom crust (you may not use all of the strips).
Step 5
Brush lattice once more with egg white and sprinkle generously with raw sugar. Bake until crust is deeply browned all over and jam is bubbling in places, 40–45 minutes. Let linzer torte cool in pan, then use parchment to lift out onto a cutting board and slice into 12 squares.
