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You’ve heard of Afternoon Tea, High Tea and probably Cream Tea. But are you familiar with Little or Low Tea? Perhaps, if you’re a Downton Abbey fan like me.
This adorably named (fairly outdated) British tradition involves tea being served between 3pm and 5pm. The setting is informal, i.e. around a kitchen table or in the living room, and comes with a slice of cake and a good natter. Sounds like the modern-day post school snack time to me!
But these dessert bars are not just for the kids. I’ve carefully curated a list that suggests one for every mood.
But first, a couple of tips on dessert bars in general:
- Get the kids involved. Fun baking gets kids used to the kitchen. And they love the tasty results.
- Use a This is an affiliate link.food processor– if you have one. It takes the hard work out of pastry dough!
- Allow to cool before slicing. And use the biggest knife you have for a clean cut.
- Serve with tea or coffee. I like an uplifting cup of British-style tea.
- Freeze spares. If there are any! They’ll keep up to 3 months in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container.
Almond Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
Best for: stunning guests.These pastry-based cheesecake bars have all the tartness of a cheesecake, the almond and red fruit of Bakewell tart, and crunchy topping of a crumble. It’s a three-in-one dessert.Servings: 20 squares
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Lemon Bars
Best for: brightening up your day.Lusciously light and lemony curd bars are a welcome ray of sunshine. Mine are shortbread-based and topped with a thick layer of tart, homemade curd. FYI, this curd recipe is a lot less fiddly than others. Servings: 30 squares
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Nanaimo Bars
Best for: starting a Christmas tradition.The iconic Canadian dessert bar is a Christmas must or must-try! It’s a crumbly chocolate, biscuit and coconut base; a generous middle of fudgy vanilla custard; and a thick glazing of milk chocolate. Servings: 24 squares
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Brown Butter Hazelnut Blondies
Best for: a break from brownies.Blondies have more fun! My chewy take on the cheeky cake is studded with hazelnuts, drizzled with white chocolate, and fragrant with brown butter and vanilla. Check out the festive ‘snowball’ decoration!Servings: 12 squares
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Blackberry Crumble Bars
Best for: being British.An individual-sized version of the quintessential classic apple and blackberry crumble. There’s no added sugar in my jammy blackberry filling and this recipe includes a secret ingredient that makes them irresistibly moreish. Servings: 12 squares
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Turkish Delight Brownies
Best for: satisfying chocolate cravings.My personal favourite of all the bars- BAR none. Literally delightful, these bars are decadently chocolately (thanks to real dark chocolate not just cocoa powder), have a fudgy chew, and are rippled with rose jelly. Not into Turkish Delight? Substitute for Snickers of your favourite chocolate bar.Servings: 16 squares
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No Bake Fridge Cake Bars
Best for: licking the spoon.No oven time makes this the easiest to do with kids. To the syrupy chocolate mixture add what you like for a chunky, clashing texture, e.g. chopped nuts, broken biscuits, dried fruit. However, if you add marshmallow, then it’s called Rocky Road.Servings: 20 triangles
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Slow Cooker Chocolate Butterscotch Stuffed Cookie Bars
Best for: indecisive dessert days.Is it a cookie? Is it a cake? Is it a dessert bar? It’s all three! Stuffed with homemade butterscotch, this gooey-centred, crunchy-edged wonder dessert is best served with a whopping dollop of toffee and vanilla ice cream.Servings: 8 portions
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