Poppy seed bars

It's not Christmas yet and I'm baking with poppy seeds already! Like.

Recipe adapted from Angie's Recipes
time: 30 min preparation + 50 min baking

ingredients
for the crumble

• 100 g (1/2 cup) sugar
• 100 g (7 Tablespoons) butter, room temperature
• 150 g (1 cup) regular flour
• 1 pinch salt

for the filling

• 250 g (9 oz) ground poppy seeds
• 350 ml (1 1/2 cup) regular milk OR almond milk
• 100 g (1/2 cup) sugar
• grated zest from 1 medium lemon
• 50 g (2 oz) raisins
• 50 g (2 oz) whole almonds
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 30 g (2 Tablespoons) butter
• 1 egg

for the bottom

• 150 g (1 1/4 cup) whole spelt flour
• 150 g (1 cup) regular flour
• 8 g (2 teaspoons) baking powder
• 150 g (5 oz) quark cheese (firm cottage cheese) OR almond pulp
• 90 ml (6 Tablespoons) milk or almond milk
• 90 ml (6 Tablespoons) oil I used canola, cold pressed
• 75 g (2/5 cup) sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Butter and line with parchment paper a 31x31cm (12x12inch) baking sheet.
2. Prepare crumble: In a medium bowl, using your finger tips, mix the ingredients for the till all greased. Set it in the fridge till ready to use.
3. Prepare filling: Toast the almonds: on a skillet preheated on medium/high, toast the nuts for about 5 minutes, moving the pan often. Chop them with a big knife to a desired size. In a medium saucepan, put in poppy seeds, milk, sugar, zest, raisins, almonds. Bring to boil while stirring. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid and set it aside for 10 minutes. Melt in butter. Add vanilla. When the filling is cooled to warm, mix in one egg.
4. Prepare bottom: In a medium bowl, mix flours with baking powder. Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat cheese (or pulp) with milk, oil, sugar and vanilla for 2  minutes. Sift in flours. Mix with the mixer till just combined.
5. Press/spread the dough onto the prepared form. Spread the filling. Top it with crumble. Lower oven temp. to 180C/350F. Set the cake in the oven for 50 min. For the last 10, I switched to top grill function to get some deeper color on top. Remove from the oven. Good warm, good cool.

notes

• a very pleasant surprise;
• three different layers play beautifully together;
• overall, not too sweet (like many Angie's recipes), which I like; the least sweet is the bottom, then comes the hardy, moist, tasty filling, and on top - the sweetest crumble with a crunch;
• the poppy seed filling is a big part and has to be good, so taste it before using; if it seems bitter, add little more sugar;
• to spread the bottom part on a baking form...can be tricky and sticky; so...I covered the dough with a parchment paper and press/roll it with a glass cup (a strong one);
• I was happy that my experiment with using the almond pulp worked again;
• a wonderful coffee/tea cake; just had a piece for breakfast; it won't slow you down;