Looking back at my posts over the last month, I realized that its been awhile since I’ve made something to satisfy my sweet-tooth.  I think I was still recovering from all of the sugar I consumed during the holiday season!  Have no fear, these Raspberry Crumble Bars are a great way to ease back into the sweets.  They are the perfect contrast of crisp and gooey, and I could easily imagine how delicious apricot or strawberry versions would be.

Makes 25 Bars

Ingredients

• 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces plus more for pan
• 2  1/4 cups blanched almonds, very finely ground
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1  1/4 cups sugar
• 1  3/4 cups raspberry jam

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Butter a 15-by-10 inch rimmed baking sheet.  Line with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the long sides. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together ground almonds, flour, sugar, and salt.  Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Using your fingers squeeze the mixture together to create pea-size crumbs with a few larger clumps.

Transfer half of the crumb mixture to the prepared baking sheet; set aside the remaining mixture and cover it with a sheet of parchment paper.  Using the back of a large spoon, press the dough evenly into the pan, lifting the parchment occasionally to ensure it doesn’t stick.  With a rolling pin, roll along the length of the pan to smooth the dough.  The dough should be firmly packed, with no holes or cracks.  Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until lightly golden all over, 15 to 20 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Evenly spread jam over the cooled crust.  Scatter with the remaining crumb mixture, squeezing some of the mixture so that large clumps are visible and evenly distributed over the top of the jam.  Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the topping begins to turn light golden brown (the jam should not be too dark), 20 to 22 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen; using two wide spatulas, transfer to a cutting board and cut into 3-by-2-inch bars.  Bars can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

original recipe found here