Lovely Easy Bar Cookies for Picnics

My apartment kitchen is excellent, I am happy with it, however it has a half-hearted oven… earnest, well-intentioned, but unreliable (don’t we all know people—let’s get closer to the bone—have friends like that?). So even though I am back to baking bread (I suppose I will plunge in and try something again soon with La Silverton’s organic-grape-based sourdough starter, humming away to itself in the fridge), I am reluctant to use my oven (I, who love to bake). It’s not just because I can’t trust the darn thing but also because it is a cavernous storage bin…all my baking sheets, large skillets, pot lids, pressure cooker, wok, are stored inside, and every time I want to use the oven, I have to pull out the contents…

Last Tuesday, I was going with my friend to the Hollywood Bowl, it was my turn to bring the picnic, and I was seized with the desire to make cookies. I was surprised at myself (haven’t made cookies in a very long time), but there it was. I looked through my books and found what seemed to be the perfect picnic cookie…easy, adaptable, rough and tumble. It was the recipe, “Sweetmeats,” in “The Silver Palate Cookbook,” a work I admire not only for its cheerful resourcefulness, but eminently flavorful and useful recipes.

The cookies have a shortbread foundation…I added a layer of jam (one can never have too much jam)…then a topping of nuts and coconut. Don’t fret that there are three parts—it all goes easily and the beauty part is that you can use whatever you have on hand, any jam and any nuts and even skip the coconut. The “SPC” recipe calls for walnuts but I—who snatch up hazelnuts at the holidays and hoard them like a squirrel—used hazelnuts. I’m sure almonds would be lovely, too. I added a layer of raspberry jam because I don’t think there’s a cookie in the world that doesn’t profit from a tetch of raspberry…but you could use cherry or apricot or any marmalade… I also added cinnamon, same principle as with raspberry jam… The cookies have a delicious European sensibility. (I have the feeling I will be tempted to drop in a bit of chocolate at some point.)

I packed eight for our picnic, but they proved to be rich and we each only ate two—my friend took the extras home. The rest I tucked into a storage container and put in the fridge. They are as fresh today, a long week later, as when I made them. I’m sure they would freeze well. What I love about these cookies is that, around midnight, when I’ve a nagging need for something sweet, I dip into the box and bring out a cookie—OK Sylvia, be honest, you bring out two—and my sweet tooth is happily satisfied.

NB: For the brown sugar, you can use the traditional sugar that’s measured firmly packed, or brown sugar that comes in loose crystals. And be sure to toast the nuts in the microwave—about 2 minutes—until crisp.

Heat the oven to 350^o, adjust the rack to the middle. Butter a 10 by 10-inch or 9 by 12-inch baking pan.

For the shortbread, in a food processor, pulse 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature with 1-2/3 cups light brown sugar until fluffy. Add 1-2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and pulse just until blended. Smooth into the baking pan and use a fork to press even. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile for the topping, in a medium-size bowl, whisk 4 large eggs at room temperature until yolks and whites are blended, then add 1 cup light brown sugar and whisk until blended. Blend in 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of kosher salt. Add 2 cups coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts, walnuts, or almonds and 1 cup shredded coconut and use a fork to blend in.

Spoon about 2/3 cup raspberry or other jam (at room temperature) over the shortbread then gently spread it evenly. Now smooth the topping over the jam. Bake until the pastry is lightly brown around the edges and a cake tester (toothpick, straw) comes out clean in the center, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in the pan then cut into squares (36 in the 10 by 10 pan, 30 in the 9 by 12 pan). Store in the refrigerator between layers of waxed paper in a tightly covered container.