White Chocolate Raspberry Bars

Hey Everyone, It's me again! - Hope you all had a great Christmas and New Years! I apologize for being m.i.a for quite awhile. Now that things have slowed down abit from the holidays and I'm back into my daily routine, I can share more great recipes with you guys. 

For my reunion with my oven, I decided to make these White Chocolate Raspberry Bars. I woke up last Sunday morning, (I remember this day specifically because it was 8:30am and my little guy was still sleeping!) came downstairs - my hair tangled and I was still half asleep...and started baking these for Ben to bring along for the snack break on Sunday. I snatched one from the batch before he took the container with him - because of course I had to make sure they were safe for everyone else to eat;) And they were absolutely delicious!

The shortbread-like crust has a very special flavor because of the white chocolate baked directly in it - and the topping is even more delicious! I mean...Raspberry Jam, white chocolate chips, sliced almonds...Is there really anything better??? I personally love this combination. Of course this recipe also lends itself to almost infinite variations just by changing the flavor of the jam. So go ahead and get creative and adjust the flavors to your liking!

Here is everything you'll need on your counter to get started:

Ingredients:

½ cup of Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

2 cups of White Chocolate Chips

1 Cup of all Purpose Flour

2 Eggs

½ cup of Granulated Sugar

½ tsp of Salt

1 tsp of Vanilla Extract

½ cup of Seedless Raspberry Jam

½ cup of Sliced Almonds

*Makes about 18 bars*

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non stick cooking spray, set aside. 

2) In a small microwavable bowl, add the butter and 1 cup of the white chocolate chips, melt in the microwave for about 1 minute or until the mixture is smooth and melted. 

3) In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until the mixture becomes light and pale in color. Add the melted butter and chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. 

4) Add in the flour and salt, mix to incorporate. Press 2/3 of this batter in the bottom of your prepared pan and bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. 

5) In a small saucepan, heat the jam until it's warm enough to be runny. Spread the jam over the cooked crust. 

6) Add the remaining white chocolate chips to the remaining batter, drop spoonfuls of the batter on top of the jam, sprinkle over the almonds and pop it back into the oven to bake for about 25 minutes or until the edges are browned. 

And just remember to let them cool completely before cutting them into squares - otherwise they'll crumble apart.

I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as we did. I will try to be more devoted and update more frequently than I have been! Have a great weekend everyone!