Ube Bars Recipe

Related post: Ube Macapuno Cake Recipe

I really (really, really) wanted to be a teacher when I was a kid.

You see, teachers do the coolest things like write using ball pens instead of big fat pencils. Teachers own a vast collection of interesting stamps that they use to their hearts content - you know, the one with "Excellent", "Good", "Very Good".  Teachers write lovely notes on their students notebooks when they collect it to make sure they take notes. And best of all, teachers use red ball pens to mark test papers. The thing is, anyone can use black or blue but red? Red are reserved for teachers so I decided I am going to be one.

You see, there was nothing that gives me more thrill than to put a check mark on every item on a test paper (okay, it's up there along with my Ma's Chocolate Cake). Yes, I was fascinated with the red ball pen. Fascinated enough to sneak out of the house, go buy a red ball pen (when all I was allowed to use are big, fat and oh -so ordinary black pencils)  and secretly create a mock test paper so I could practice using my red ball pen when I become a teacher. Oh what a rush!! 

Unfortunately, that dream ended when I realized I don't have a knack for speaking in front of an audience. It's as if a wizard cast a "Petrificus Totalus" spell on me. Too bad. Oh well, enough of the babble. It's Monday once again and I thought I'd share a recipe with you. This is my Auntie Fely's Ube Bars recipe. I didn't realize lots of you my dear Bake Happy friends like ube so I am following up the Ube Macapuno Cake Recipe with Ube Bars. Hope you like it!

Ube Bars Recipe
350F

What we need:

1 1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 egg yolks

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup chopped cashew nuts

3/4 cup ube halaya

Here's how:

(1) Toast nuts, set aside to cool.

(2) Sift or dry whisk flour and baking powder.

(3) Cream together brown sugar and butter until fluffy.

(4) Add in egg yolks. It's okay to add them all at once. Just make sure to mix them well. 

(5) Add in flour mixture.

(6) Fold in nuts

Here is what our batter will look like.

(7) Line a rectangular baking pan (I used 9 1/2" by 12")  with parchment paper

(8) Spread out three fourths of the batter evenly using an offset spatula.

(9) Spoon the ube halaya into the different areas of the pan

(10) Again spread evenly

(11) Now, as for the remaining one fourth of the batter, roll them into balls and place on top of the ube halaya like little islands. 

(12) Bake for 30 minutes at 350F or until golden brown and they will look this this. Perfect ube bars

Cut it up and you can see the thin line of ube halaya in the middle. Bliss!

Want a bite? 

Oh wait, cut them up into squares first. But it's okay if you can't wait. I won't hold it against you. Pinky swear.