VEGAN FOREST FRUIT CRUMBLE COOKIE BARS

A perfect dessert on the go ─ these bars make for a sweet treat in a lunchbox or for a picnic. Or they would look gorgeous carefully sliced, wrapped in tissue paper and tied with a deep red ribbon as a gift for a neighbour.

INGREDIENTS

For the pastry dough:

350g plain flour

220g cold vegan unsalted butter, cubed

150g ground almonds

120g icing sugar

large pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp cold water

For the filling:

500g frozen forest fruits, defrosted and drained, in a sieve or colander

60g caster sugar

finely grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon

1 tbsp cornflour

METHOD

1. Heat the oven to 190˚C / 170˚C fan / Gas 5.

2. Make the pastry dough. Put all the ingredients apart from the cold water in a food processor and pulse to a crumb. Gradually, add the water until the mixture forms fine breadcrumbs.

3. Set aside just under half of the pastry crumbs for the crumble topping and tip the remainder into the lined baking tin. Press it out in an even layer, covering the base. Prick the base all over with a fork and bake for 20 minutes, until light golden brown. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.

4. Make the filling. While the pastry base is cooling, toss the forest fruits, sugar, lemon zest and juice and cornflour together. Spread the berry mixture evenly over the cooled pastry.

5. Scatter over the reserved pastry crumbs and return the tin to the oven for another 30 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling, and the crumble topping is golden brown. Leave to cool completely before cutting into 10 equal-sized bars.

Recipes extracted from The Great British Bake Off: Comfort Bakes: The official 2024 Great British Bake Off book by The Bake Off Team, published by Sphere (RRP £25.00), out now.