RASPBERRY TAHINI BARS

• a quarter sheet tray (or a 9x13-inch aluminum baking pan)

• parchment paper

• 3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar

• 2/3 cup best-quality tahini, stirred well

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 2 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon almond extract

• 1/2 cup sesame seeds (for sprinkling)

• 1 1/2 cups best-quality raspberry jam

Lightly butter or spray the quarter sheet tray (or baking pan). Line with enough parchment paper to remove the bars when they’re done (think “whale lift”). Butter or spray the parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and cardamom in a bowl.

In a stand mixer, beat the sugar, tahini and butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Separate one egg and save the white for egg wash.

Add the remaining yolk, the other egg, and the almond extract to the mixer and beat to combine.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed just until combined.

Transfer half of the dough into the parchment-lined pan and press it evenly across the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the pan to make a crust. Refrigerate.

With the remaining dough, roll out a 13 x 9 inch rectangle between sheets of parchment paper. Generously sprinkle the top with sesame seeds and gently roll them into the dough.

Cut the sesame dough lengthwise into 3/4 inch strips and freeze the entire sheet until solid, about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with a rack in the middle.

Spread the raspberry jam evenly over the dough in the pan. Lightly beat the remaining egg white to make an egg wash, then brush it all over the frozen strips of dough. Lay them in a lattice pattern over the jam, cutting as necessary (don’t bother weaving them, as you would a pie crust).

Brush the lattice once more with egg wash. Bake until the crust is a deep golden color and the jam is starting to bubble, 40-45 minutes.

Let the uncut bars cool completely in the pan, then use the parchment to lift them to a cutting board. Slice into squares or rectangles with a long, sharp knife.