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–+ servings
Raspberry dessert bars with a shortbread base and raspberry curd layer
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5 from 9 votes

Raspberry Bars

These raspberry bars have a buttery shortbread crust and a smooth raspberry curd layer on top - delicious!
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Fusion
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 16 Slices
Calories: 218kcal
Author: Kachina

Equipment

Ingredients

Raspberry filling:

  • 3 cups raspberries fresh or frozen
  • 1 ⅛ cups white sugar finely granulated e.g. caster
  • ½ lemon's juice roughly 2 tbsp
  • ⅓ cups plain all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs large
  • red food colouring optional

Shortbread base:

  • ¾ cups unsalted butter room temp.
  • ⅓ cups white sugar finely granulated e.g. caster
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ cups plain all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch fine white powder called cornflour in the UK
Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Raspberry reduction:

  • Heat the raspberries in a medium saucepan, simmering for 10mins (or 15mins if frozen), breaking down the raspberries as you stir continuously.
  • Press the mix through a mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl, mashing through as much of the mixture as you can before discarding the solids. Allow this to cool on the side while you make the shortbread base.

Shortbread base:

  • Pre-heat oven: 180°C / 160°C (fan) / Gas Mark 4 / 350°F
  • Mix shortbread base ingredients together and press into a lined 8inch square tin. Make sure to press all the way to the edges. Use a fork to prod little holes in the base to help cook.
  • Bake the base for 20mins until lightly golden. While the base cooks, prepare the filling.

Raspberry filling:

  • In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar and flour until fully combined.
  • Add the lemon juice and cooled raspberry liquid into the egg mix, beating together until smooth.
  • If using, add in a few drops of red food colouring to the filling mix and stir until combined. Add a few more drops at a time until the desired colour is reached.
  • Once the base has cooked, pour the raspberry mix over the top and return to the oven to cook for a further 25-30mins until the bars have set and there is no wobble in the middle.

Notes

Storage: Keep raspberry bars in an airtight container at room temp. for up to 4 days.
Freezing: You can freeze your raspberry bars in an airtight container (or cling film plus foil) for up to 3 months. Defrost then enjoy!
Top tips:
  • The cornflour used in this recipe is a white fine flour, not a yellow coarse flour. However, sometimes this is called cornstarch and the yellow version is called cornflour, e.g. in the US, so be sure to pick the white one!
  • If using frozen raspberries for this recipe, you might need to heat them for an extra 5mins to break them down and reduce the liquid. Alternatively, you can thaw them first before using.
  • To help your buttery shortbread base bake evenly, once the dough has been pressed into the baking tin, use a fork to poke holes spaced across the surface before the initial bake.
  • When sieving your raspberry reduction, push as much through your sieve as possible. The more you get, the stronger the flavour will be. I usually get roughly 160ml / 11tbsp of raspberry juice.
  • Dust your raspberry bars with powdered sugar once cooled, right before serving. If your raspberry shortbread squares are a bit moist, they will absorb the powdered sugar.

Nutrition

Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 318IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg