Raspberry Crumb Bars

Every year, our neighborhood has a 4th of July parade and party for the young children.  It starts with a community bike ride at the end of the cul-de-sac, and ends at the local park with games and food.  The kids bikes were packed (as we were going camping a few days later), so we instead we walked in the parade over to the park with the entourage of kiddos.

The weather this day was pretty cold.  Last year it was in the mid 90s, which is extremely rare early July in the Pacific Northwest, but this year it was in the mid-60s.  However, you wouldn’t know that based on what Grace is wearing!  Kids…

Matthew and Grace participated in a three-legged race (which was a very hard concept for a 3-year-old to understand) and a gunny-sack race.

Grace fell on early in the race (sadness!) and refused to get up and continue, but Matthew was all about trying to win.  (Wonder where he got that from…)  Just look at that face!

It ended with an all American lunch of hot dogs, chips, and freezer pops–the best lunch any kid could ask for.

I made these bars for the cul-de-sac barbecue and firework show later in the day.  They were a big hit and super easy to make.  They are gooey, soft, and incredibly delicious.  When I was plating this to take to the potluck, I snitched a few morsels and then had to promise myself I wasn’t going to eat anymore before taking them to the party.  That would have been really embarrassing to have only a few bars to share and explain to the host that it only made a small portion, haha!

Raspberries are my favorite fruit and there are so many in these bars, it’s ridiculous.  You could use either fresh or frozen berries with this recipe.  If raspberries aren’t your thing, you could try another kind of berry, but seriously, who doesn’t like/love raspberries??  The crust dough also serves as the crumb topping, so you only have to dirty one bowl. Actually, technically, two, as one serves for your berry mixture.  You will want to eat these within a few days of making, as the gooey-ness from the berries slowly seeps into the crust.  No one wants soggy crust.  Well, my kids might.  However, I doubt it’ll last that long anyway, so you have nothing to worry about.  Enjoy! xoxo

Raspberry Crumb Bars

print recipe

3 c flour

1 ½ c sugar, divided

1 t baking powder

¼ t salt

¼ t ground cinnamon

1 c shortnening

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 t almond extract

1 T cornstarch

4 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9×13 pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 c of sugar, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon.  Using a knife or pastry blender, cut in the shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs.  With a wooden spoon, stir in the beaten eggs and almond extract.  Press ⅔ of the mixture in the bottom of the pan.

In another bowl, gently mix the raspberries, remaining ½ c sugar, and cornstarch.  Sprinkle over the crust.  Using your hands, crumble the remaining crust dough over the raspberries.  You want areas where the raspberries are exposed.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and crust is golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack before cutting in bars.  Store any leftovers in the fridge.

from Taste of Home