Recipe | Barefoot Contessa Raspberry Crumble Bars
Well, I had planned to post some Valentine's Day pictures but then I realized I had yet to post this recipe and to keep it from you for a moment longer is just cruel. I received Ina's latest book, Foolproof, for my birthday in October. I've made my way through much of the book, along with many instagram friends. We even chronicle our recipe expereinces with the hashtag #barefootcontessabookclub, it's fun to see what others have made and what they think of the recipes. Not just from Foolproof, but all Barefoot recipes. In each of her books I find a handful of recipes that I know from the first time I make them they are destined to become standbys in our home. Such was the case with these raspberry bars. The first time I made them was for the Downton Abbey premier. I was heading to a freind's house and made the salted carmael brownies and these crumble bars to share. I craved them every single day there after. I've made the recipe 4 times now in the span of a couple months. That good. I'm going through jars of raspberry jam like nobody's businesess. My favorite raspberry jam is Bonne Maman. But in a pinch, Trader Joe's makes a really god one too.
Ingredients
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
10 to 12 ounces good raspberry jam
2/3 cup good granola
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Confectioners' sugar, for sprinkling
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed just until combined. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla.
Sift the flour and salt together and, with the mixer on low, slowly add to the butter mixture, mixing until it almost comes together in a ball. Turn the dough out on a board. Lightly pat two-thirds of the dough evenly on the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan and about 1/4-inch up the sides. Spread with the jam, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Mix the granola into the remaining dough with your hands. Break the dough into small bits and distribute it on top of the jam, covering most of the surface. Sprinkle the almonds on top. Bake the bars for 45 minutes, until lightly browned.
Cool completely and cut into 9 or 12 bars. Sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar.
