These are lovely squares/bars to make and enjoy after your Christmas meal or just between now and Christmas, really any time. Not too sweet, just the right amount of papaya and a delicious cookie base which you can vary with the mood you are in. Papaya Bars are Christmas Treat #3 for 2020.

Papaya is good for you! The entire thing (except for the skin) is edible. I know – what!!!! First off I have been eating papaya since I was very young. We took a great absence from it as we couldn’t get it when we came to Canada over 50 years ago. Thank goodness that’s changed. It is now as common a site in grocery stores as apples and bananas. If you eat Thai food, you must have had their green papaya salad – oh my delicious! I like it best plain when it is ripe. Even the seeds are edible and quite often used in place of black pepper. It has a similar sting to pepper (but can also be slightly bitter), but not quite as pronounced. I’ve even put some seeds – 2 tbsp. in a batch smoothie recipe. Healthy benefits – it’s loaded with nutrients such as Vitamin C and A; has powerful antioxidants such as lycopene’ and has anti-cancer properties (see www.healthline.com for more information). It also has enzymes which aid in digestion. So give it a try!

The filling for this recipe is simple and tasty. We don’t like desserts with a lot of sugar in them and this recipe more than satisfies this criteria. You can cut back further on the sugar by a tbsp. or two if you like depending on the sweetness of the papaya. Taste the filling before it goes on top of the crust and see if you need to add more. I added Skor toffee bits to the crust – it gave the crust a delicious chew, and complemented the subtle richness of the papaya. If you are going to cut these small i.e. 1”x1” squares for your sweet table, I would double the crust recipe to make the base  thicker, otherwise they might crumble, but a single portion worked well for the 3”x3” squares in the picture.

I used half a papaya – about 8” from cut end to cut end (it’s okay if it is a bit over, just means more papaya taste – a good thing!). You can most definitely make this entire recipe by hand without using a processor. I was experimenting with other baked goods and was going to use it for multiple purposes today and decided to use mine. I pulsed the crust ingredients together and emptied into my prepared pan. Without rinsing/washing the bowl, I added the filling ingredients and pulsed/blitzed to perfect smoothness. You could easily fold in some sliced almonds to the finished filling, but papaya has a subtle taste and you should try it on its own first. I offer you this blast of the tropics. Wash your hands, wear a mask, socialize responsibly and download the Covid 19 app. Stay safe! As always – enjoy! 

Ingredients
Crust
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup Skor toffee bits
¼ tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
8 tbsp. (1/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, diced

Filling
½ cup brown sugar
1½ tbsp. all-purpose flour
¼ tsp kosher salt
½ papaya, pureed (cut end to cut end 8”) – measure 1 cup
2 large eggs
2 tsps lemon juice
2 tbsp. good-flavored honey, I used Manuka, orange blossom would also work well with this recipe 

Substitutions and/or Changes 
You can also substitute mango for papaya or combine the two 
Instead of Skor bits – use 1/4 ground almonds or chopped currants or craisins
Add the zest of 2 lemons to the crust mixture 

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350f and butter and line with parchment a 8” square baking tin – set aside
To the jar of a food processor, add the flour, salt and dark brown sugar – pulse until combined 
Add the cubes of butter and then pulse until it starts to form a ball
Add the Skor bits and pulse just to combine – when the crust bakes these bits melt into the crust 
Pour the contents into the prepared tin (no need to wash the processor bowl) and spread it evenly – try and leave a bit of a raised edge around the square to contain the filling
Poke holes into the crust with the tines of a fork (docking)
Bake the crust for about 15 minutes 
Use this time to make the filling – add the remaining ingredients to the processor and pulse to make a smooth paste
After 15 minutes, remove the crust from the oven – if it has puffed up in spots, gently press with the back of a spoon to flatten – the crust should still be workable and almost baked
Pour the filling over the hot crust and transfer back to the oven for a remaining 25-30 minutes
You’ll know the papaya bars are done when the filling appears set
Cool in the pan on a cooling rack until it reaches room temperature
Run a sharp knife along the sides and gently lift the parchment
Slice into squares and enjoy!
Refrigerate any leftovers – the papaya flavor is more pronounced when served from the fridge but you can bring to room temperature if you like