Eggplant Cinnamon Bars with Red Wine & Anise Seeds

Eggplant Cinnamon Bars with Red Wine & Anise Seeds

Active: 1 hr, Total: 2 hrs 30 mins, Yield: about 4 dozen bars

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 10 ounces Eggplant Cinnamon Jam

• 3/4 cup Red Wine Jelly

• 3/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

• 3/4 teaspoon anise seeds

Dough:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 large egg

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

Directions:

Make the filling: In a saucepan, combine the Eggplant Cinnamon Jam, Red Wine Jelly, lemon zest, and anise seeds.  Simmer over low heat until the liquid is syrupy and reduced to 1/2 cup.  If needed puree in a food processor until smooth. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip.

Make the dough:

1. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy.  Beat in the sugar, vanilla, zest, and salt at medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 minutes.  Beat in the egg.  At low speed, beat in the 1 1/2 cups of flour.  Divide the dough in half, shape it into rectangles and wrap it in plastic.  Freeze until firm, 20 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°.  Roll out 1 piece of dough between 2 sheets of floured parchment to a 9-by-12-inch rectangle, dusting with flour as needed.  Remove the top sheet of parchment.  Cut the rectangle into three 3-by-12-inch strips through the parchment and transfer to a baking sheet.  Pipe two 1/2-inch-wide ropes of eggplant filling down the middle of each strip of dough.  Refrigerate just until firm enough to fold, 5 minutes.  Fold the dough over the filling and turn onto a work surface, seam side down; discard the parchment.

3. Cut each roll into 8 bars and arrange it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, until the dough is golden on the bottom.  Let cool.  Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.