Pear and Ginger Barfi Bars
As a kid growing up in Mumbai, my favorite fruit next to Alfonso mangoes was pears. As soon as they were in season, my mother would bring the pale green beauties home from the market, and I would immediately devour the first pear, right out of the box, juice dripping from the corner of my mouth. It was bliss.
Juicy, crunchy, ever so slightly soft and super sweet, pears are an underrated fruit. They bring natural sweetness to any dessert.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT KIND OF PEARS?
I did not grow up with varieties of this fruit. But after coming to the United States, and after frequent visits to the grocery store, I realized there are Green Anjou, Red Anjou, Bartlett, Bosc, Comice and many more delicious varieties. Anjous are very crunchy, whereas Bartletts are great for making jams and desserts because they are sweet, soft and juicy, which is what I use in this recipe.
Pear and Ginger Barfi Bars are inspired by my love for this fruit as well as my favorite Indian festival, Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, which starts on November 8th this year. In India, Diwali is an emotion, a feeling, a celebration in which folks from all backgrounds come together, as a community. There is love, laughter, lights, color everywhere, and you can’t help but be a part of this lovely celebration.
INGREDIENTS IN THE BAR
SHORTBREAD LAYER:
The ingredients in the shortbread layer are:
- All purpose flour
- Butter: I use unsalted butter and add salt so I can control the amount of salt in the shortbread.
- Granulated sugar: The sugar melts once the bars are in the oven creating a nice texture in the shortbread.
- Ground Ginger and Candied Ginger: I am a HUGE fan of ginger. Pear and ginger is a lovely combination and the bars taste amazing with the ginger.
- Vanilla extract: Always vanilla extract in any bake!
The ingredients in the Barfi Layer are:
- Ghee: Any good barfi starts off with ghee, which is essentially clarified butter, available easily at Indian grocery stores, and even at Whole Foods Market.
- Granulated sugar
- Pear puree: The pear adds a subtle taste, but most importantly it reduces the amount of sugar required in the barfi. Be sure to use ripe pears (not overripe as well!).
- Whole milk and milk powder: Traditionally only whole milk is used to make barfi, and it requires hours of churning to reduce down the milk. But nowadays shortcuts are taken to reduce the amount of time it takes to make barfi by using a combination of whole milk and milk powder.
- Cardamom and saffron: add a floral taste and color to the pear barfi.
These Pear Barfi Bars are my take on a fusion bar: a cross between a classic shortbread and barfi, an Indian sweet typically made with whole milk, milk powder, sugar, and cardamom. Pear and ginger is a classic combination. I have elevated the shortbread crust with ground ginger and bits of candied ginger.
The barfi layer is elevated with fresh pear puree, and although you cannot taste the pear in the barfi, it makes the layer moist, and adds natural sweetness, requiring less sugar than usual. The barfi melts in your mouth, leaving you craving more.
MAKE AND DECORATE THE BARFI
The barfi layer itself does not take more than 18 to 20 minutes to make from start to finish. It is an arm workout like the art of a well-made risotto, but all good things in life take effort and love, don’t they? Make sure to use freshly ground coarse cardamom. It adds a beautiful taste to the barfi.
The top layer is decorated with sliced pistachios, saffron and edible gold leaf. And although the gold leaf is optional, it gives the Pear Barfi Bars, the classic Indian mithai touch with a very pretty, festive look. Edible gold leaf is easily available online, and I always have some at home to elevate my desserts.
My favorite way to celebrate this festival, spread joy and cheer is to make small boxes of mithai or sweets, and give them as gifts to my loved ones, signifying the gift of health, wealth and prosperity. Happy Diwali from my family to yours.
XO
Amisha
PS: This recipe first appeared last year (2022) in S.F.Chronicle for my bi-weekly column Modern Vegetarian.
Pear and Ginger Barfi Bars
Ingredients
- Makes 16 2-by-2 inch squares or 25 1.6-by-1.6 inch squares
- Shortbread layer
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped candied ginger
- Pear Barfi layer
- ¼ cup ghee
- 1 cup pear puree (see Note)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups milk powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon saffron
- Garnish
- 2 tablespoons raw pistachios, sliced thin
- Edible gold foil (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon saffron
Instructions
- Prepare the shortbread layer:
- Grease an 8x8 baking pan with baking spray. Line it with parchment paper, allowing for an overhang on the sides.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, add the melted butter and sugar, and mix with a rubber spatula until combined. Add the vanilla extract and mix again. Add the all-purpose flour, ground ginger, salt, candied ginger and mix until well combined.
- Place the dough into the pan and spread it all the way to the edges. Flatten and smoothen the layer with an offset spatula.
- Bake in the lower middle rack of the oven for about 15 minutes, or until slightly golden brown in color.
- Remove and let cool.
- Prepare the pear barfi layer:
- In a large skillet, on medium-low heat, add the ghee. Add the pear puree and stir with a rubber spatula to combine. Next add the granulated sugar and stir until sugar dissolves.
- Add the whole milk and let it warm for about a minute. Add the milk powder next. Keep stirring the mixture, and remove the lumps of milk powder by pressing them against the skillet. Stir continuously for about 5 minutes.
- Add the ground cardamom and salt. Crush the saffron between the palm of your hands and add it in. Keep stirring the mixture for about another 10 minutes. The mixture will go to a slow boil and the moisture will start to evaporate, until it starts to leave the sides of the skillet and forms a semi solid mixture.
- Add the mixture immediately into the baking pan. Spray the spatula with baking spray and gently press against the barfi mixture until it reaches all the sides and corners of the baking pan, completely covering the shortbread. Smooth the top of the barfi.
- Garnish generously with the sliced pistachios and sprinkle saffron, crushed between the palm of your hands, all over. Gently press these in with the spatula.
- Place the pan in the refrigerator for about 4 hours for the barfi to completely cool.
- Remove from the fridge, and cut into either 16.
- Decorate each square with a piece of the edible gold foil for a festive touch.
- Note: To make the pear puree, peel and core 1 to 2 Bartlett pears. Place in a blender and puree at high speed. The puree browns as it oxidizes, so it is best to make it right before using it. Store the barfi in the refrigerator and enjoy within two weeks. Remove about 10 minutes before eating.
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