Bee Sting Bars Recipe: German Almond Custard Bars Are the Bee's Knees by 30Seconds Food

Bee sting, or almond custard cake, is a classic German cake recipe. Puff pastry is topped with a sweet almond topping and filled with a rich, creamy custard filling. Dessert perfection! These bee sting bars are a variation of the classic cake recipe.

These sweet, crunchy and creamy dessert bars do have several steps, but none of them are too hard or complicated. If you think you want to give this German dessert recipe a go, here are the ingredients you need to gather from your fridge, freezer and pantry: frozen puff pastry dough, butter, granulated sugar, honey, heavy cream, salt, almonds, vanilla extract, unflavored gelatin powder, whole milk and a box of instant vanilla pudding mix.

These almond custard bars are sweet and indulgent! The bee sting bars are wonderful with a cup of coffee or tea as a sweet snack, or served for dessert after dinner. These bars are the bee's knees!

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Cuisine: German
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 32 minutes
Total Time: 1 1/2 hours (approximately)
Servings: 12

Ingredients

Topping 

• 17 ounces (1 package) frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 4 teaspoons heavy cream
• large pinch of salt
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Filling

• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 1/2 teaspoons powdered unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup heavy cream, cold
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, cold
• 3.4 ounces (1 box) instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• large pinch of salt

Recipe Notes

• Kitchen shears make cutting the finished dessert into bars much easier.

• You could add a little almond extract into the filling. Be careful, though, because almond extract is a strong flavor.

• You can make the filling up to one day ahead of time. Store it in the refrigerator.

• Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

Here's how to make it:

1. To make the crust and topping, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the granulated sugar, honey, heavy cream and pinch of salt. Bring the ingredients to a boil and cook until they lighten in color, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Stir in the almonds and vanilla. Refrigerate until cool and spreadable, about 20 minutes. 
2. Unfold the thawed puff pastry and put it onto a work surface. Roll into a 18x8-inch rectangle. (You may need to use a little flour to keep it from sticking.) Cut the sheet in half. Place both halves on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Use a fork to make holes all over the rectangles. 
3. Spread the almond mixture onto one of the rectangles, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for about 30 minutes, or until they are golden and puffed up. Remove and let them cool. 
4. While the puff pastry cools, make the filling by stirring together the water and gelatin in a small saucepot. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, then cook on low heat until melted together. Set aside to cool slightly. 
5. Put the heavy cream into a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed while slowly adding the cooled gelatin. Turn the mixer to high speed and beat until soft peaks for, about 2 minutes. 
6. In another mixing bowl, stir together the milk, instant pudding mix, vanilla and pinch of salt. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the mixture to the heavy cream mixture. Beat until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. 
7. Spoon the custard on the plain baked and cooled puff pastry in an even layer. Place the puff pastry with the almond top on top of the custard. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 
8. When ready to serve, carefully cut into 12 pieces.
   
    

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. This recipe has been analyzed by HappyForks. However, any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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