Berried Treasure Bar Cookies (Raspberry Bar Cookies)

Red Velvet Cupcake Murder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

	+ 2 cups all-purpose flour ***(don't sift--pack it down in the cup when  you measure it)***
	+ 1/2 cup powdered sugar ***(not sifted)***

### For the Raspberry Filling

* + 4 beaten eggs ***(just whip them up in a glass with a fork)***
	+ 2 cups white ***(granulated)*** sugar
	+ 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
	+ 1/2 teaspoon salt
	+ 1 teaspoon baking powder
	+ 1/2 cup all-purpose flour ***(don't sift--pack it down when you measure it)***

### For the Chocolate Frosting

* + 1/2 cup ***(1 stick, 1/4 pound, 4 ounces)*** salted butter
	+ 1 cup white (granulated) sugar
	+ 1/3 cup cream
	+ 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ***(approximately 1/2 of a 6-ounce package--I use Nestle)***
	+ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

## Directions

Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. Alternatively, you can line the cake pan with heavy duty aluminum foil and spray that with the cooking spray.

### The Shortbread Crust:

* + Cut each stick of butter into eight pieces. Zoop them up with the flour, and powdered sugar in the food processor, using an on and off motion, with the steel blade until the resulting mixture looks like coarse cornmeal. Spread it out in the bottom of the cake pan. Pat the crumbly mixture down with your freshly-washed hands. This is your shortbread crust.

* **Hannah's 1st Note: If you don’t' have a food processor, you can mix up the crust with a piecrust blender or two knives. Don't worry if the crust gets "doughy"  instead of crumbly. Once you spread it out in the pan and bake it, the end result will be the same.**

* Bake the crust at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes, or until golden around the edges. Remove the pan from the oven, set it  on a wire rack or a cold stove top burner, BUT DON'T SHUT OFF THE OVEN.
* While your crust is baking, make the Raspberry Filling so it's ready to pour on top of the crust when it comes out of the oven.

### The Raspberry Filling:

* + Mix the eggs with the white sugar until they're nice and fluffy.
	+ Melt the half-cup seedless raspberry jam in a microwave-safe cup on HIGH in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir the jam for another 30 seconds to cool it and then beat it into the egg and sugar mixture.
	+ Add the salt and baking powder. Mix them in thoroughly.
	+ Mix in the flour and beat until everything is combined.

* **Hannah's 2nd Note: This filling will be runny--it's supposed to be.**

* When the crust comes out of the oven, pour the filling over the top. Stick the pan back in the oven and bake it at 350 degrees F. for another 30 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and set it on a cold burner. Let it cool for 10 minutes. Then make the Raspberry Glaze.

### The Raspberry Glaze:

* + Measure out 1/4 cup of seedless raspberry jam and heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir it until it's smooth. Using a pastry brush, brush the melted jam over the top of the bar cookies. This very thin layer of jam will be the glaze.
	+ Place the pan in the refrigerator so that the jam will cool and solidify. ***(Mine took about 30 minutes.)***

### The Chocolate Frosting:

* + Make the frosting by placing the butter, sugar, and cream into a medium-size saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil at MEDIUM HIGH heat, stirring constantly. Then lower the heat to MEDIUM and cook for exactly 2 minutes.
	+ Add the half-cup of chocolate chips, stir them in until melted, and then remove the saucepan from the heat and slide it onto a cold burner.
	+ Stir in the vanilla extract. ***(Be careful--it may sputter.)***
	+ Pour the frosting over the cookie bars, grab the cake pan, and tip it so that the frosting covers the whole top.
	+ Stick the pan back into the refrigerator for at least an hour before you attempt to cut and serve your Berried Treasure Cookie Bars.
	+ To serve, cut the cookie bars into brownie-sized pieces and place them on a pretty platter.

* **Hannah's 3rd Note: Doctor Bev served these on the day the crane lifted the dome over the penthouse garden on top of the Albion Hotel. Andrea heard her tell several people that she'd baked them, but folks here in Lake Eden know better.**