Cooking for Alan - Dinner #6 Raspberry Crumble Bars

Although tonight’s dessert is an Ina Garten recipe, it comes from her Barefoot Contessa Foolproof cookbook, instead of Cooking for Jeffrey. I had a taste for raspberry something and found this Raspberry Crumble Bars recipe that uses shortbread as it’s base. My husband has always been a fan of shortbread cookies, so I figured he would enjoy this sweet ending to another Cooking for Alan dinner.

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Tossed arugula and spinach salad

Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes

Roast Chicken with Radishes

Raspberry Crumble Bars with Vanilla Ice Cream

Whenever I try a new dessert recipe that involves baking, I follow it to the letter. There’s so much science involved in the baking process that I’m afraid I’ll mess it up. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not super confident as a baker. But this project I’ve taken on to replicate all of the recipes from her Cooking for Jeffrey book has helped me gain some skill and confidence in my ability to produce desserts that aren’t total failures. This one was a success.

The recipe calls for a 9 inch square baking pan. I’m not sure where Ina gets her pans, but all 3 of my square baking pans are 8 inch? So I think that might have been why the crust on my bars turned out a bit thicker than anticipated. Just more shortbread crust in each bite. Since my husband, who grew up on a dairy farm, is an ice cream lover, we chose to scoop up some french vanilla and serve alongside the bars. Click here for the full recipe.