This is one time I will tell you to judge a book by its cover, because this recipe is absolutely as delicious as it is beautiful! It’s a combination of three of my all time favorite flavors: pistachio, mango, and pomegranate. Each of these are super bright and bold on their own, but they’re ever better in combination! The pistachios give the base of these bars richness, and a slightly salty, nutty flavor. In contrast, the mango layer is creamy and super sweet, and finally, it’s all topped off with a thin layer of tart, ruby red pomegranate jelly. What’s especially cool about this bar is that when you take a bite, you get a little bit of each layer, and the variety of flavors AND textures are in perfect balance and insanely good. These are sure to impress your taste buds AND your guests!
1. Make Ahead!
I know these three separate elements can seem intimidating, but the bars can be made hours or even a day or two in advance! In fact, the longer they chill, the better they slice.
2. Color & Flavor
Of course, the most important part of any dessert is how it tastes, but I have to take a moment to talk about how beautiful these are. They are an absolute show stopper for your next party!
3. Dessert or Small Plate
You can cut these into 9 as dessert, but they also make a great sweet bite for small plates or passed appetizers when cut down into 12 bars!
Mango Pomegranate Pistachio Squares
Ingredients
Pistachio Crust
- 12 ounces unsalted, shelled pistachios
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Mango Filling
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup pureed and strained mango, about 3 mangos
- ¼ cup lemon juice, about 1 large lemon
Pomegranate Jelly
- 1 cup pomegranate juice, divided
- 1 (¼ ounce) envelope unflavored gelatin
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
For the Pistachio Crust
- Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper.
- Place pistachios in food processor and process just until they are a fine meal, about 30 seconds. Add sugar and salt, and pulse a few times to combine. Add egg and butter, and process on low until wet ingredients are evenly distributed, and mixture presses and holds together easily, 10 to 20 seconds.
- Press dough into prepared pan and use a flat-bottomed cup to tamp down firmly and evenly. Place in refrigerator while you prepare the curd.
For the Mango Curd
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and whisk very well, until fully combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove chilled crust from fridge and pour curd over crust, and bake until curd is nearly set and the center wobbles gently when pan is shaken, 35 to 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and set on cooling rack to come to room temperature, then place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
For the Pomegranate Jello
- Pour 1/4 cup of pomegranate juice into a small mixing bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Set aside.
- Place remaining juice and sugar into a small saucepan and place over high heat. Bring just to a boil. Remove from the heat and add to gelatin mixture, stirring to combine. Place the bowl into refrigerator and chill, just until the mixture is cool to the touch, about 20 minutes.
- Remove from refrigerator, whisk once more to incorporate any solidified gelatin at the bottom of the bowl, then pour over the mango layer. Place back in the refrigerator for 2 hours until fully set.
- Cut into 9 even squares and serve. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator, to prevent jello layer from melting.
