Cookie Friday: Raspberry crumb bars

Happy Cookie Friday, everyone!  Hope you are enjoying the last day of 2010.  I am definitely looking forward to starting a new year.  I have a feeling that there are exciting, wonderful things to come.

I'm spending New Year's at home, in my fuzzy slippers, eating BBQ pork ribs and flipping TV channels to see all the fun concerts and celebrations around the world.  Some day I hope to travel to NYC to see the ball drop on Times Square.  But I have to get my courage up to leave my small town for the big city :)

I don't feel the need to make resolutions this year, although I am trying to get through my stack of recipes that I've been wanting to try.  My husband requested that I make raspberry crumb bars, so I dug up what looked to be the best recipe from my stack. 

These bars turned out wonderful -- so buttery and caramelized.  Plus, it gave me an excuse to use the raspberry jelly I made this summer from the berries my hubby and I picked at a local orchard.

Give these bars a try if you're looking for an alternative to chocolate brownies.  I think they would be terrific for Sunday coffee at church.  Enjoy!

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Raspberry squares
Adapted from King Arthur Flour's Cookie Sheet

• 3 C. flour
• 1 C. light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 C. honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 C. chopped pecans
• 1 C. old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 C. shredded, sweetened coconut
• 3/4 C. unsalted, cold butter
• 1-3/4 C. seedless raspberry jam
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch pan, and line with parchment paper or foil.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, honey and vanilla. Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the nuts, oats and coconut. Press 5 C. of the mixture into the prepared pan.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and spread the jam on top. Sprinkle the reserved jam mixture over the jam. Bake for another 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.