Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Chocolate Raspberry Crumb Bars

It's cookie baking time, and, as I do every year, have started my holiday baking.  How long this burst of seasonal energy will last is anybody's guess, but I've been hard at it, preparing various holiday tidbits and packaging them for the freezer.  The hope of course is that, come late December, I'll be able to kick back and relax smugly knowing I have a freezer full of soups, casseroles, appetizers and desserts so I'll not have to cook a thing, and am well prepared for anything.  That's the hope, not the reality, but I digress.

Here is my first cookie of the season, an easy recipe of my own creation born of my love for the combination of chocolate and raspberry.


Chocolate Raspberry Crumb Bars

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 12 oz. package Nestles milk chocolate morsels, divided
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 12 oz. jar seedless raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9" x 13" baking pan.

Beat butter in a large mixing bowl until creamy.  Add flour, sugar, and salt, and continue beating until combined (the mixture should be crumbly).  Measure out 2 cups of the mixture and press onto the bottom of the baking pan, covering completely (It helps to flour your hands).  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.  Remove from oven and carefully spread half of the jar of raspberry preserves on top, spreading to cover.

Combine 1 cup of the milk chocolate morsels with the can of sweetened condensed milk in a small, heavy-duty saucepan.  Melt over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth.  Remove from heat and pour over the raspberry layer, carefully spreading to cover.

Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the chocolate layer.  Drop remaining raspberry jam by teaspoonfuls over crumb mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining morsels.  Put pan back into the oven and continue baking for 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set.  Cool completely on wire rack.  When cool, use a sharp knife around the edge to loosen, and then cut into squares.

Makes 2-3 dozen bars depending upon the size cut.


Hot from the oven.


This post is linked to 12 Weeks of Cookies.



10 comments:

Roberta said...

OMG these look and sound heavenly...I can hear the Angels singing now..ahhhh
I also love chocolate with all fruit but raspberry and orange with dark chocolate are my favorite. Have you tried adding coconut to these? I'd be real tempted to add some coconut as well. Thanks for sharing, fondly, Roberta

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

Hi Roberta,

No, I've not tried adding coconut, but I did once add chopped pecans to the crumb mixture that went on top and decided I liked it better without. I think you could do all sorts of things with this recipe.

Couscous & Consciousness said...

OMG - these look just incredible - I love the combination of raspberry and chocolate too - so can you freeze these - if I could freeze them and ration them out to myself I'd be happy, otherwise I would just devour the whole lot?
Sue :-)

a quiet life said...

fabulous combo... gulp!

♥Sugar♥Plum♥Fairy♥ said...

OMG, these loookkk so ooo good that i wanna bake some rite awy!!
Absolutely delish and so excitn, gosh u leave me with a major craving now!!!
Totally love the combi!!

grace said...

pure decadence. i think the notion of adding coconut is inspired, by the way. thanks for the food porn. :)

Sue said...

Looks like you've created a winner! Can't go wrong with raspberry and chocolate:)

Erin said...

Oh my gosh! They look AMAZING!!!!

Jenny @ Simcoe Street said...

Oh yum!!!

Lisa said...

What a luscious looking bar. I so want to make these now.