What I adore about this recipe is the low amount of refined table sugar and the fact that any berry or orchard fruit would be perfectly acceptable in this recipe. The crispy nut base is accentuated with fresh fruit, making it a great after school snack or addition to breakfast.
Crispy Fruit and Nut SquaresINGREDIENTS
Nonstick cooking spray1/2 pound package phyllo dough (1 roll), thawed
3 cups crushed macadamia nuts3 beaten egg whites
1 tablespoon sugar3 peaches1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled
3/4 cup apple jelly, heated and whisked smooth
INSTRUCTIONSPreheat oven to 350-degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Unravel phyllo dough carefully and lift off of plastic packaging and place on grease pan. In a bowl, stir together crushed nuts, egg whites and sugar well. Evenly spread over dough.
Peel, pit and thinly wedge peaches. Decoratively layer on top of nut mixture. Slice strawberries from top to bottom and layer over peaches. Drizzle whisked jelly evenly over the top and bake 20-25 minutes, or until the phyllo dough is well browned and the fruit is tender with the strawberries beginning to darken around the edges.
Remove from oven to cool completely. Slice into desired sizes and serve.
Makes 9 servings.The Yankee Chef Jim Bailey is a third-generation chef, food columnist, cookbook author and food historian. Bailey lives in Maine with his wife and four children.
