Sweet Oregon raspberries baked on top of a crisp, buttery, shortbread cookie crust. These Raspberry Lemon Shortbread Bars come together so quickly and are the perfect treat for any kind of get together!
Recipe by Liz Marek of the Sugar Geek Show Blog sugargeekshow.com
¾ cup water or raspberry juice (for extra berry flavor) + ¼ cup sugar
2 ½ cups fresh or frozen raspberries
¾ cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 ounce water
2 tablespoons clear gel or cornstarch
2 ¼ cups flour
1 cup unsalted butter soft but not melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Step 1
Add your raspberry juice or water and ¼ cup sugar to a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.
Step 2
Heat your liquid mixture until it begins to bubble. Increase the heat to medium-high heat if needed.
Step 3
In a small bowl, combine the water and the ClearJel (or cornstarch) and mix until smooth. Don’t just add the ClearJel (or cornstarch) directly to the hot liquid or you’ll end up with lumps of thickener in your filling.
Step 4
Add your ClearJel mixture (or cornstarch slurry) to the hot liquid and mix for one more minute to thicken the mixture.
Step 5
Add in the raspberries, lemon juice, salt, and lemon zest and continue cooking for one more minute.
Step 6
Stir in the final quantity of sugar and stir until combined.
Step 7
Spread the filling onto a sheet pan and place it into the freezer to allow it to cool while you make the shortbread dough.
Step 1
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and lemon zest in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached.
Step 2
Add in your softened butter and mix on low to combine until you get a rough, crumbly mixture.
Step 3
Add in the egg and mix on medium-high until everything is combined.
Step 1
Preheat oven to 425ºF.
Step 2
Grease 9″x13″ sheet pan with Cake Goop, pan release, or you can use parchment paper.
Step 3
Press 2/3 of the shortbread crust into sheet pan.
Step 4
Spread the raspberry filling evenly over the shortbread crust. Top with a handful of fresh or frozen whole raspberries if desired.
Step 5
Crumble the remaining 1/3 of the shortbread dough on top of the raspberry filling layer. Use your hands to gently press everything together.
Step 6
Bake at 425ºF for 10 minutes to set the crumb, then reduce the temperature to 350ºF and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
Step 7
Let cool completely, cut into squares to serve. Enjoy!