Royal Raspberry Bars

Apparently, I like to be tortured! Right around this time of year, I start getting emails from MyRecipes Cookie Countdown. Instead of unsubscribing, I open every email and drool!

These bars were particularly drool worthy, and yes, they do taste just as good as they look! Perfect for company - they look extremely festive with the white meringue and red raspberry filling.


Royal Raspberry Bars

Phyllis Ciardo developed her own rich and chewy version of the meringue-topped bars she remembers her mother baking every Christmas.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sweetened flaked dried coconut
1/4 cup plus 2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (3/8 lb.) butter or margarine, melted
3/4 cup raspberry jam
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar



Directions:
In a bowl, mix oats, flour, coconut, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt. Add melted butter and stir until well blended. Press dough level in bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking pan.
Bake crust in a 325° regular or convection oven until edges begin to brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes, then spread jam evenly over warm crust.
In a large bowl, with a mixer on high speed, whip egg whites and cream of tartar until thick and foamy. Gradually add 2/3 cup sugar and continue to whip until mixture holds soft, shiny peaks. With a spatula, spread meringue evenly over jam.
Bake until meringue is lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then cut into 24 bars. Let cool completely, then use a wide spatula to remove bars from pan.

Yield: Makes 2 dozen bars

CALORIES 158 (39% from fat); FAT 6.8g (sat 4.3g); CHOLESTEROL 16mg; CARBOHYDRATE 23g; SODIUM 124mg; PROTEIN 2g; FIBER 0.9g

Sunset, DECEMBER 2001

The holiday baking continues...

I have no idea why I love to bake during the holidays. From Halloween to January, I bake more in these 2 months than I do the rest of the year combined. Maybe it's the "cold" weather. Maybe it's the fact the baked treats always put people in a festive mood.

However, I still won't do anything "complicated". No rolling, chilling, stacking, etc...

I've been getting Cookie Countdown emails. Almost all of them are mouth-watering. Only a few meet my criteria of being easy to make. This recipe called out to me. And now that I've tasted it - wow! Am I glad it did!

A couple of changes to the original recipe - At the last minute, I subbed the unbleached white whole wheat flour for 1/2 of the regular white flour, to make the cookies a bit more healthy. It is not noticeable at all. Also, I used a 1/2 cup of butter and subbed plain kefir for the other 1/2 cup. Again, to me, the healthy substitution does nothing to harm the flavor. I added 1 more tespoon of vanilla, just because I love vanilla. The last substitution is walnuts for the pecans. I simply could not find the pecans.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Prep: 15 minutes, Bake: 10 minutes.

1 cup butter, softened (1/2 butter)
½ cup kefir (my addition)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used 3)
2 cups all-purpose flour (1 cup regular, 1 cup unbleached white whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups uncooked regular oats
1 (11.5-ounce) package semisweet chocolate mega morsels (my package was 12 oz.)
1 cup chopped toasted pecans (used walnuts pulsed in the food processor until pretty fine)



1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well.
3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, stirring well. Add oats; stir well. Add to butter mixture; stir until well blended. Gently stir in morsels and pecans. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until brown around edges. Cool on pan 2 to 3 minutes or until firm. Remove cookies from pan; cool on wire racks.

Yield: Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies (mine made 5 1/2 dozen, I guess I used more like 3/4rounded tablespoons - but the cookies are still big)





Easy to make, tastes wonderful and yields a high quantity of cookies!