Sweet and Salty Strawberry Bar Cookies

Raspberry Danish Murder

## Ingredients

**The Crust and Topping**

* 2 cups ***(4 sticks, 16 ounces, 1 pound)*** salted butter softened to room temperature
* 1 cup white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 1 and ½ cups powdered ***(confectioners')*** sugar
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 4 cups all-purpose flour ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***

**The Strawberry Filling**

* 11.75-ounce jar ***(net weight)*** strawberry ice cream topping or preserves
* 1 cup ***(6-ounce by weight package)*** white chocolate or vanilla chips
* ⅛ cups ***(2 Tablespoons)*** whipping cream
* ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 teaspoons sea or Kosher salt ***(the coarse-ground kind)***

## Directions

* Preheat oven to 325°F, rack in the middle position.
* Before you begin to make the crust and filling, spray a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan with Pam or another nonstick baking spray.

**Hannah's 1st Note: This crust and filling is a lot easier to make with an electric mixer. You can do it by hand, but it will take some muscle.**

* Combine the butter, white sugar, and powdered sugar in a large bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat at MEDIUM speed until the mixture is light and creamy.
* Add the vanilla extract. Mix it in until it is thoroughly combined.
* Add the flour in half-cup increments, beating at LOW speed after each addition. Beat until everything is combined.

**Hannah's 2nd Note: When you've mixed in the flour, the resulting sweet dough will be soft. Don't worry. That's the way it's supposed to be.**

* Remove the bowl from the mixer. With impeccably clean hands, take out a generous cup of the sweet dough, form it into a loose ball, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Stick that sweet dough ball in the refrigerator to chill. You will use this chilled sweet dough for your top crumble crust.
* Again, with impeccably clean hands, press the rest of the sweet dough into the bottom of your prepared cake pan. ***(If the dough seems a bit sticky, cover the dough with a sheet of waxed paper to use when you press it down.)*** This will form a bottom crust. Press it all the way out to the edges of the pan, as evenly as you can, to cover the entire bottom. Then remove the wax paper if you used it.
* Bake your bottom crust at 325°F for approximately 20 minutes.
* While the crust is baking, take the lid off your strawberry topping and place the jar in the microwave. Heat on HIGH for 20 seconds. Leave the jar in the microwave for 1 minute and then take it out.
* Pour the slightly heated strawberry topping in a microwave-safe bowl on the counter. ***(I used a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup.)*** Use a rubber spatula to get all the strawberry topping out of the jar.
* When the edges of your crust have turned pale golden brown, remove the pan from the oven, but DON'T SHUT OFF THE OVEN! Set the pan with you baked crust on a cold stovetop burner or a wire rack to cool. It should cool approximately 15 minutes.
* After your crust has cooled, it's time to finish making your strawberry filling.
* Add the cup of white chocolate or vanilla chips to the bowl with the strawberry topping. Mix them in with the rubber spatula.
* Measure out ⅛ cup whipping cream and add that to your microwave-safe bowl. Mix it in with the rubber spatula.
* Place the bowl in the microwave and heat the strawberry filling for 1 minute at HIGH power. Let the bowl sit in the microwave for an additional minute and then try to stir the mixture smooth with a heat resistant spatula or a wooden spoon. If you cannot stir it smooth, heat it for an additional 20 seconds at HIGH power, let it sit in the microwave for an equal length of time, and then try again. Repeat as often as necessary, alternating heating and standing times until the chips are melted.
* Once your strawberry filling is ready, add the half-teaspoon of vanilla extract and stir it in. DO NOT ADD THE SALT YET.
* Pour the strawberry filling over the baked crust in the pan as evenly as you can. Smooth it out with the rubber spatula.
* ***Here comes the salt!*** Sprinkle the sea salt or Kosher salt over the strawberry filling in the pan.
* Take the remaining sweet dough out of the refrigerator and unwrap it. It has been refrigerated for 35 minutes or more and it should be thoroughly chilled.
* With your impeccably clean fingers, crumble the dough over the strawberry filling as evenly as you can, letting some of the strawberry filling peek through.
* Return the pan to the oven and bake at 325°F for 25 to 30 additional minutes, or until the strawberry filling is bubbly and the crumble crust is light golden brown.
* Take your pan of bar cookies out of the oven, shut off the oven, and place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.

**Hannah's 3rd Note: Do not be tempted to cut your Sweet & Salty Strawberry Bar Cookies until they are completely cool. That strawberry filling will stay hot and molten for at least 20 to 30 minutes.**

* When your bar cookies are completely cool, cut them into brownie-size pieces, place them on a pretty plate, and serve them to your guests. If you want to make them even prettier, add a few fresh strawberries around the edge of the plate.