Pop Tart Inspired Shortbread Bars

I came across this recipe and honestly, with the sprinkles on top of these bars I couldn’t resist. I know that funfetti and that sort of thing is really popular right now, but it isn’t something that I seek out. These were different, and they are inspired by pop tarts. I haven’t really eaten pop tarts in ages, and they likely don’t taste as good as I recall, but I still have a fondness for them.

The original recipe called for strawberry preserves, but I ended up using the preserves that I had in the correct quantity, which in this case was blackberry preserves, that was made by my friend at work. I think it worked well and the flavor was not any different. I also used milk in the icing rather than heavy cream. The heavy cream would be thicker, and I do know that my icing took forever to set, so perhaps that would make a difference.

The dough for these bars is very soft, but it wasn’t too hard to work with. When I first read through the instructions, I was unsure why I needed the 8” square of waxed paper. I ended up using it to shape the top dough for the bars and then I could just put it into place. I worried that the waxed paper would stick, but it peeled off quite easily. I thought it was a brilliant approach. Does this taste like a pop tart? A little bit. I love the combination of butter cookie and preserves, and you can never go wrong with sprinkles!

Pop Tart Inspired Shortbread Bars
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup almond flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup preserves, chilled

1 cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon almond extract
2-4 tablespoons milk
Rainbow sprinkles

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8” square pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Have an 8” square of waxed paper ready, which will be used in shaping the topping of the bars.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, and salt; set aside. In a large mixer bowl, combine the butter and powdered sugar and mix on low to start, then increasing to medium speed. Beat until the mixture is light. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and almond extract.

With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed to make sure all of the flour is incorporated. The dough will be soft. Divide the dough into two halves. Press half of the dough into the base of the prepared pan. Top with the preserves and place the pan in the refrigerator.

With the other half of the dough, place it on the 8” square of waxed paper and shape it to fit the paper. Remove the bars from the refrigerator and flip the shortbread on top of the preserves. Carefully peel away the waxed paper and spread the dough to the edges of the pan if needed.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Allow the shortbread to cool before icing.

Make the icing: in a medium bowl whisk together the powdered sugar and almond extract. Add about two tablespoons of milk, whisking until the icing is smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add additional milk as needed. Remove the bars from the pan and spread the top with the icing. Top with rainbow sprinkles. Allow the glaze to set in the refrigerator before cutting into bars.

Recipe from Butternut Bakery