Raspberry Cookie Bars (Blondies)

Dessert bars are a perfect way to curb your sweet cravings without loading up on much guilt, and they are also a great way to incorporate favorite seasonal fruits fillings into your household. Instead of baking elaborate cakes, choose to go the cookie or crumble bar way – they have a longer shelf life, and being served as small squares instead of huge slices, you can stop yourself from binging on a third cookie, while it might be hard to do so when faced with a large slice of cake:)

The recipe below has been adapted from Donna Hay.com; photo courtesy of Patricia from Technicolor Kitchen. They are a lovely cross between raspberry cookies and Raspberry Crumble – with a dense and moist base layer that resembles a cake or a cookie, like Madeleine, followed by a layer of your favorite fruit filling, and topped with a crumbly topping of flour, sugar and butter, you get to enjoy 2 recipes in one bite! For a more crunchy bite, toss in some crushed almonds or pecans in the topping, and you will love the decadence offered by this simple Raspberry Cookie Bar

Quick and Delicious Raspberry Cookie Bars

Ingredients
Makes about 16-20 squares

Base:
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 1/2 cups + 2 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
pinch of salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
100g unsalted butter, melted

Raspberry Filling:
450g raspberries, hulled and chopped (or use thawed berries, water removed)
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crumble topping:
1 1/2 cups + 2 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour, sifted
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
150g cold unsalted butter

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter a 20x30cm (8x12in) baking pan and line with foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides. Butter the foil or use a non-stick spray.

To make the cookie bar base, place the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, egg and butter in a bowl and mix well to combine. Press into the base of the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and firm. Let cool completely.

While the base is baking, make the filling. place the raspberries, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and toss to combine. Set aside for the juices to flow out and let the flavors merge together.

To make the crumble topping, place the flour and sugar in a bowl and mix to combine. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Assembling the Bars
remove any excess liquid or juice from the berry filling. reserve the juice to use as topping over ice cream or yogurt, or blend it with lemons to make berry Lemonade! evenly layer the raspberry filling over the baked base. Top with a generous layer of crumble topping. Now bake again for 35-40 minutes or until golden on the top.

Once done, allow the cake to cool on the wire rack. Then let it cool completely. using a serrated knife dipped in warm water, make clean cuts on the cake to make square bars of any size you like.

Recipe Variations
These Raspberry Cookie Bars are very delicious, nice and soft in the middle with a dense base and a coarse crumbly layer on the top. And as you may have guessed, they are extremely versatile too! Just substitute your favorite fruit filling for the raspberry preserves – strawberries, rhubarb, apricot are all traditional favorites. To make something dramatic, chuck off the fruit train and go for a layer of Chocolate or Nutella instead! You could even add some crushed nuts to the crumble topping if you like. Enjoy by themselves, or dunk them in your evening tea for a sweet and simple treat.

Related Recipes
Raspberry & White Chocolate Cheesecake
Strawberry Cake with Pink Meringue Frosting
Raspberry & Chocolate Chip Muffins