Raspberry Bars

These raspberry bars are a delicious gluten free treat. Perfect for potlucks, after school snacks, or with an afternoon tea. Quite easy to make!

YIELD:           ~16 Bars

PREP TIME: 20 minutes

COOK TIME: 45 – 50 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 65 – 70 minutes

Ingredients

Cookie base (you will reserve 1/3 cup of the base dough for the topping)

• 2 cups Metta flour
• ¾ cup butter or oil (I prefer coconut oil, for extra buttery flavor add another 1 Tbsp of butter)
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt

Crumble

• 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
• ⅓ cup sliced almonds (sub finely chopped pecans or walnuts)*
• ¾ – 1 cup gluten free rolled oats
• 2 – 3 Tbsp butter or oil
• Plus, ⅓ cup reserved cookie base dough

Raspberry filling

• 1 cup raspberry preserve
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1-2 tsp lemon juice (depending on preferred tartness)

Note: *To make them nut-free, replace with extra rolled oats. Plus, add another ¼ cup of Metta flour with extra 2 Tbsp of sugar and oil/butter.

Instruction

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 8 to 10 inch square baking pan with parchment paper so that the paper hangs over the edges to easily lift the paper out of the pan when the bars are done.
2. For the Cookie Base, mix in all the ingredients in a bowl. The mixture may look a bit oily,, but that is okay. The dough should pull away from the sides.
3. Measure and set aside 1/3 cup of the dough to use in the crumble.
4. Using your hands or spatula, press the remaining dough into an even layer in the prepared baking pan.
5. Bake for 14-16 minutes.
6. For Raspberry Filling, while the base bakes, combine preserves, fresh raspberries and lemon juice in the same bowl and mash with a fork until well combined with no big berry pieces.
7. For the Crumble Topping, while the base bakes add the reserved dough, brown sugar, rolled oats, and almonds in a small bowl. Mix well using your hands until combined and “crumbly.” Adding 2-3 tablespoons of butter or oil as needed. Leave aside.
8. To Assemble, pour raspberry filling over the hot cookie base spreading it evenly. Sprinkle with crumble topping pinching crumble with fingers to create crumble “clumps.” It is alright to press the crumble gently into the filling.
9. Bake for 30-35 (last 2-3 minutes on broil to make the crumble crispy and slightly more brown).
10. Let bars cook completely in the pan.
11. When cooled completely, lift the parchment paper out of the pan and onto a cutting board or kitchen counter to cut into squares and enjoy!

Have you used Metta gluten-free flour for this recipe or any other recipe?

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Any questions or concerns or ideas on how to improve our recipe and/or process, please feel free to contact us at mettagfatta@gmail.com