Chocolate Raspberry Bars

Last night I made a batch (or rather, a pan) of bar cookies, following a recipe I got off the EAT-L food mailing list some time ago. I was looking for an idea to use some of the ubiquitious jars of jams and preserves in my shelves. Usually, I am not a big fan of bar cookies, they never seem to look even remotely as good as the bars in food magazines do, and many of them are just plain boring. But this one is definitely a keeper – my husband sternly refuses to share them with anyone

Usually, I am not a big fan of almond flavoring, either, but I used it this time and the result is a marzipan-like taste in the lower crust.

Of course, I hardly make anything without fiddling with the recipe, even if it is not on purpose. I used a berry jam made of raspberries, blueberries and cranberries which I had used for liqueur-making before turning them to jam, and in the middle of the process of kneading the dough I realized I didn’t have any almonds, so I substituted unsweetened flaked coconut, which I had at hand.

Lazy as I am I chopped up a 200 g bar of dark chocolate, using this as chocolate morsels.

Chocolate-Raspberry Bars

2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon almond extract
¾ cup raspberry jam
180 g semisweet chocolate morsels
1 cup chopped blanched almonds
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon milk

Combine flour and 1 cup sugar in a bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Add egg and almond extract; stir well.

Set aside 1 cup of flour mixture for the topping. Press remaining flour mixture into a lightly greased 13″x 9″ pan.

Spread raspberry jam evenly over dough.

Combine reserved flour mixture, chocolate morsels and almonds; stir well. Sprinkle topping over raspberry jam; gently press topping into jam with a fork. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until
lightly browned. Cool on wire rack.

Combine powdered sugar and milk in small bowl; stirring till mixture is smooth. Drizzle glaze over the toppings. Cut into bars.

The smell from the oven was heavenly, and so is the taste, my husband assures me.

I have a new keeper recipe for the bento boxes