These “Bee Sting Bars” Taste Like They Came From a Fancy European Pastry Shop (But Have an Easy Shortcut!)

I’ll be the first to admit that before I started working at The Kitchn, I had no idea what a “bee sting” dessert entailed. But then we developed our now-famous recipe for Bee Sting Cake, the triple-layer German delicacy that’s “heaven in a cake,” as our recipe tester nicknamed it. What makes it “bee sting”? The crunchy topping of caramelized honey and almonds. (See the best jars of honey — the flavor matters for this recipe!) Our staff quickly became obsessed with this cake, and it wasn’t long before we were brainstorming what else we could “bee sting.” These bars became our next creation — and my personal favorite.

Get the recipe: Bee Sting Bars

The thing with the traditional Bee Sting Cake is that the cake itself is a little fussy. It’s a yeasted cake, with a pastry cream, plus the topping. When you’re not a super-confident baker like me, you’re always looking for a shortcut. Enter: Bee Sting Bars. Our Culinary Producer Rachel brilliantly swapped the cake layers for frozen puff pastry (we love Trader Joe’s brand!), so you’re only putting in real effort for the creamy filling (which is the best part, anyways). It also has a brilliant swap: instant pudding mix!

The stovetop labor comes from the signature “bee sting” step, so there’s no way to shortcut that. Luckily, it’s easy: You melt butter with sugar, honey, and heavy cream, then stir in the almonds and refrigerate until it’s a thick, spreadable consistency. You spread that on top of a puff pastry layer and then bake so the dough gets nice and flaky, and the topping gets crackly and crystallized (that texture combo alone is everything). 

Once you make the custard filling, you’re ready for assembly. The cream gets sandwiched between the flaky puff pastry for the most heavenly squares. Everyone who tries one of these thinks it comes from a fancy European pastry shop because the almond topping looks so impressive. They don’t need to know the recipe starts with a box of puff pastry. Your secret’s safe with me.

Get the recipe: Bee Sting Bars

This article originally published on The Kitchn. See it there: The “Bee Sting Bars” All My Friends Beg Me to Make (the Boxed Secret Ingredient Is Probably in Your Pantry)