Strawberry Glazed Peanut Butter Bar Cookie

Strawberry Glazed Peanut Butter Bar Cookie

Text and Photo by Jac Kyles Baker 

Makes one 6 inch round or square bar cookie

Ingredients

For the bar cookie:

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 TB vegetable oil

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 egg, lightly beaten

For the icing (optional):

1/4 cup strawberry curd (recipe below)

2 TB powdered sugar

Preparation

Make cookie:

Grease/butter and flour a 6 inch round or square microwave safe pan.

Whisk together flour and baking powder in a large bowl.  

In a separate bowl: beat sugar, oil, salt and peanut butter until smooth and creamy. Beat in egg until combined.   Add vanilla extract.  Stir well.

Make a well in the bottom of the flour bowl.  Add about a third of the liquid mixture to the well and stir in some of the flour.  Repeat until all the liquid and flour is mixed in and forms a smooth batter.

Press batter evenly into prepared pan.  

Microwave on HIGH for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, checking the cookie's progress every 30 seconds.  Test doneness by sticking a toothpick into center of cookie; a few crumbs should cling to the toothpick.

Carefully remove pan from microwave.  Cool pan on a wire rack for five minutes.  Remove cookie from pan and cool completely on rack.

Spoon strawberry glaze (recipe below) over the top of the cooled bar cookie.  Refrigerate to set glaze.  The glaze won't harden but will remain sticky.  

Egg Free Strawberry Curd

Makes about 1/2 cup

Ingredients 

1/2 cup strawberry juice, from fresh or frozen strawberries

1/3 cup granulated sugar

4 TB butter, cubed

2 tsp powdered sugar

2 TB sweetened condensed milk

Preparation

Place cornstarch in a small bowl.  Add 2 TB of strawberry juice to cornstarch.  Stir to make a smooth slurry.

Stir remaining strawberry juice and sugars together in a large glass or ceramic microwave safe bowl.  Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute.

Carefully remove bowl from the microwave.  Stir cornstarch slurry into bowl.  Microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes.

Carefully remove bowl from the microwave.  Add cubed butter into the cranberry mixture, about 1 TB at a time, briskly whisking after each addition of butter.  Stir in evaporated milk. 

Pour curd into a clean, dry glass jar to cool.  Seal with lid and store in the refrigerator.

Cook's Notes

** Microwave power varies.  Adjust power and times accordingly.