KrausnicKitchen

Raspberry Bars

Raspberries and chocolate is a wonderful combination. This take on my Orange Essence Bars. It incorporates a chocolate shortbread crust, a sprinkling of bittersweet chocolate, topped with a creamy raspberry layer. It is a divine!

Chocolate Raspberry Bars

Chocolate Crust: 
1/2 cup white sugar
1-1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup butter
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips plus extra for garnish (like Ghiradelli Bittersweet – 60% cacao)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients. Cut butter into dry ingredients until dough starts to form. Press dough into ungreased 9×13″ pan. (If sticky, use waxed paper to press until dough evenly coats the bottom of pan). Sprinkle chips evenly over dough. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Raspberry Topping: 
1-1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
3 eggs + 1 yolk
1 tablespoon raspberry extract
red food coloring to desired color
raspberries for garnish

Meanwhile, mix together sugar and flour. Whisk eggs and yolks and raspberry extract. Combine until well mixed. Set aside until crust is baked. Once crust is baked, whisk to incorporate mixture and carefully pour over hot pre-baked crust. Bake 20 minutes more. Remove from oven. Cool five minutes and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cool pan completely — bars will firm up once cool. Cut carefully, remove from pan. If bars crack, simply sprinkle with more powdered sugar to hide imperfections. Garnish with fresh raspberries and chocolate chips, serve.

© Dorene Krausnick and KrausnicKitchen 2011-2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Dorene Krausnick and KrausnicKitchen with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.