Time to Bake Again

Well, it’s that time of the month again. We have our retired school employees Board meeting tomorrow. The church where we hold it is serving a lunch. I received a call from Debbie, the woman in charge of the lunch, and she asked me if I would be willing to bake something for the dessert table. If I didn’t want to that would be fine as well.

Come on now. If you have been reading my posts for any length of time you know that I enjoy baking and sharing whatever I make. Of course, I told her I would be glad to bring something. The question is what to make.

Debbie told me that someone was bringing a chocolate cake. OK, so a chocolate anything was out. Another person was going to bring something with cherries. Strike cherry bars from my possible list. Someone else was going to bring another kind of cake. Well, I guess I won’t be making a cake.

With it being SOL Tuesday I didn’t want to make anything too complicated and time consuming. I also wanted something red for Valentine’s Day. Then it hit me. I have the perfect dessert that only takes 4 ingredients, requires no mixing, is not a cake, and has red in it – White Chocolate Raspberry Bars.

I gathered my ingredients and set the oven to 350 degrees to heat.

The base is prepackaged sugar cookie dough, so I didn’t need to prepare a batter. I started out by breaking the dough into pieces and spreading it in an ungreased 9″ x 13″ pan. I then sprinkled 1 cup of white chocolate chips onto the dough and lightly pressed them in.

Into the oven for 20 minutes. When it came out I spread a 12 oz. jar of seedless raspberry jam over it. I guess you could use any kind of jam you like, but I am partial to the raspberry.

Now, back into the oven for 10 minutes. Doesn’t look much different than the pre-baked pan, but it does make a difference.

Now, let it cool for an hour before the final step. I placed 1/4 cup of white chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil into a pan and heated it on low stirring constantly until the chips were melted. Using the spoon, I drizzled the white chocolate over the bars. Then into the refrigerator they went so that chocolate could harden.

All I need to do now is cut them into bite size pieces and plate them. They are now all set to be taken to the church tomorrow.

Of course, I had to try one just to make sure they were good. After all, I wouldn’t want to take something that was not good to share with others.

White Chocolate-Raspberry Bars

INGREDIENTS
1 roll (16.5 oz.) Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookies

 1 ¼ cups white chocolate chunks or white vanilla baking chips

1 jar (12 oz.) seedless raspberry jam

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  In ungreased 13 x 9-inch pan, break up cookie dough.  With floured fingers, press dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust.  Sprinkle 1 cup of the white chocolate chips over crust; press firmly into dough.
2. Bake 16 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown.  Remove crust from oven.  Spread jam evenly over crust.   Return to oven; bake 10 minutes longer.  Cool completely, about 1 hour.
3. In a small resealable-food storage plastic bag, place remaining ¼ cup white chocolate chips and the oil; partially seal the bag.  Microwave on High 30 seconds.  Squeeze bag until chips are smooth.  If necessary, microwave 15 to 30 seconds longer.  Cut small hole in bottom corner of bag.  Squeeze bag gently to drizzle white chocolate over bars.  Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 20 minutes.  Cut into bars.  (You can also melt chocolate and oil in a small saucepan over low heat stirring constantly until chips are melted.  Using a spoon drizzle melted white chocolate over bars.  This is what I did.)