It’s the last week before Christmas and it’s Kim’s and my last week of our cookie collaboration. I think all my holiday baking is done now. Unless I decide to make some batches of what Kim has been baking up! I’ve definitely added some great recipes to my recipe box.
I found this recipe a few years ago in one of my SELF magazines and I really liked the idea of it. See, there was abase sugar cookie recipe you could use to make sugar cookies, then there were five other recipes you could use the base for to make a nice variety of holiday cookies (chocolate ganache filling, pumpkin pinwheels, mint doughnut, orange coconut stars). I have made three of the recipes and they all turned out very well, but my favorite are the Raspberry Torte Bars. They turn out so pretty and tasty. I love a good bar recipe, too. One baking dish? Sign me up!
1. For the sugar cookie base, you will need 3/4c. cake flour, 3/4c. flour (you can use whole-wheat if you want), 1/4t. baking powder, 1/4t. baking soda, 1/8t. salt, 4T. butter, softened, 1/2c. sugar, 2 egg whites, and 1t. vanilla extract. For the bars, you will need 7-8T. raspberry preserves. The original recipe calls for 2T. sliced almonds. I did not use the almonds in the recipe though.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar together. Add in egg whites and vanilla. Whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and gradually stir in until just combined. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
3. After refrigerating, the recipe says to divide the dough in half, but I took about 2/3 of the dough and rolled it out to fit the bottom of a greased 9×13 dish. The dough can be sticky, but I floured my surface and the dough and it really helped when I was rolling it out.
4. Spread raspberry preserves on top of the dough. The original recipe called for 6T. but I ended up using more. Sprinkle almonds over top at this point, if desired.
5. Roll out the remaining dough and cut into strips. Lay them diagonally on the bars.
6. Then cut more strips and lay them diagonally crossing over the original strips to form a diamond pattern. Bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes. Cool and cut into 1 inch bars.
And don’t forget to check out Kim’s recipe this week atFairy Wings Make Good Soup. These are absolutely beautiful! How did she get the icing so smooth? Mine always drips off the side. They sound delicious, too!
Raspberry Torte Bars
Ingredients:
3/4c. cake flour
3/4c. flour
1/4t. baking powder
1/4t. baking soda
1/8t. salt
4T. butter, softened
1/2c. sugar
2 egg whites
1t. vanilla extract
7-8T. raspberry preserves
Directions:
1. Cream sugar and butter together. Add in egg whites and vanilla and mix until just combined. Whisk together remaining ingredients, except raspberry preserves. Slowly beat into batter.
2. Tightly wrap batter in a log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
3. Grease 9×13 pan. Cut 2/3 of dough and roll out on floured surface to fit. Press dough into bottom of pan. Spread with raspberry preserves.
4. Roll out remaining dough and cut into thin strips. Lay diagonally over top of bars. Cut more strips of dough crossing over original strips making diamond pattern. Bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes until dough begins to turn golden brown. Cool then cut into 1 inch bars.