The Best Raspberry Bars

One of my favorite things about summer is all of the fresh fruits and vegetables.  So why not take some of these fantastic berries and make turn them into dessert?  I found this recipe in a special edition Cooks Illustrated magazine.  They were toted as being "The Best Raspberry Bars", and you know what?  They really are!  The crust is buttery, the filling flavorful, and the topping streusely (yes, I think that's a word).

Raspberry Streusel Bars
found in Cooks Illustrated

2 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks plus 2 T butter (room temperature)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup pecans, chopped fine
3/4 cup raspberry preserves (I sometimes substitute homemade strawberry or rhubarb jam, whichever I have on hand)
3/4 cup raspberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil.  Spray foil with nonstick spray.

In a mixer, mix flour, granulated sugar, and salt until combined.  Slowly add 1/2 cup of butter until the mixture looks like damp sand (1 or 2 minutes).
Measure 1 1/4 cups of this mixture and set aside.  Put the remainder of the mixture in the bottom of the pan and press down evenly.  Bake 15 minutes or until it starts to brown.
While the crust is baking, add brown sugar, oats and nuts to the reserved flour mixture.  Work in the remaining butter.
Combine the preserves, raspberries, and lemon juice in a small bowl.  Mash with fork until combined but some berry pieces remain.
Spread filling over the hot crust and sprinkle streusel topping over evenly.  Return pan to oven and bake 22-25 minutes.  Cool to room temperature.

Raspberry Blondies

After reading the latest All You magazine (you know, the magazine with all of the coupons) and seeing this recipe, I knew the next time we had fresh raspberries I would be baking with them. I really like not only the contrast in flavors - a sweet blondie mixed with tart raspberries, but also the contrast in textures - chewy and crunchy.

Raspberry Blondies

found in the August All You magazine

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 stick butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds)

1 cup fresh raspberries

I also added 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 inch pan with aluminum foil.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add brown sugar. Let cool slightly. Off the heat, whisk in the egg and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture. Add nuts (I added the white chocolate here too). Scrape batter into pan and smooth top. Scatter berries over batter. Bake until the blondies are set in the middle (around 30-35 minutes). Let cool completely before removing from pan and cutting.

White Chocolate Brownies

I swear I wasn't going to bake from "Baking, From My Home to Yours" this week. I promise! The TWD recipe was vanilla ice cream. And since we have a lactose-free house (for the most part) I thought I'd take a week off...

But then my mom brought over some fresh raspberries. I simply love fresh raspberries. When I first got this cookbook I saw this recipe and swore that when raspberries were in season I'd make it.

Well I improvised a little...I didn't have ground almonds, orange zest, or enough eggs to make a meringue. And I put it in a 9" square pan (so it had to bake longer). It was still delicious - or so I hear (talk about will power!!). I didn't try any, but I did treat myself is some of the leftover berries:)

Here's a picture of what mine looked like, and the full complete recipe. Enjoy!

White Chocolate Brownies

from: Baking, From My Home to Yours

For the Brownie:

2/3 cup flour

1/2 cup finely ground almonds

1/2 tsp salt

1 stick (8T) unsalted butter

4 oz white chocolate

1 cup sugar

2 tsp grated orange zest

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup fresh raspberries

For the meringue:

3 egg whites, at room temperature

pinch of salt

1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9x13 pan. Put pan on a baking sheet.

Whisk the flour, ground almonds and salt.

Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of only-just-simmering water. Put the butter in the bowl, top with the chocolate and stir frequently until the ingredients are just melted - you don't want them to get so hot that the butter or the white chocolate separates. Remove the bowl from the pan of water.

Working in the bowl of a stand mixer or in another large bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and aromatic. Add the eggs and beat on medium high for about three minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and blend in the melted butter and chocolate. Still working on low, mix in the dry ingredients, stirring only until they disappear into the batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the raspberries over the batter. Set aside as you make the meringue.

In a cleaned mixer bowl with a clean whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with the salt on medium speed until they are just foamy and just turn opaque. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and add the sugar in a slow steady stream. Whip the whites until they form firm but still glossy peaks.

Gently spread the meringue over the brownie batter.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the meringue is browned and crackly and the brownies pull away from the pan. Cool and cut into 32 bars.