First things first. Thanks to all of you lovely people who voted for Lottie + Doof as your favorite home cooking blog over at The Kitchn [1]. I really appreciate the support. I know the contest was sort of confusing and that it was difficult to vote, but I am happy to have participated. I started Lottie + Doof as a place to share what I was cooking and thinking with anyone who wanted to listen (I am still surprised that anyone includes people other than my close friends). Not only do you read- you have all been so supportive. I truly appreciate it. I will happily keep cooking and recording what I eat here. I also hope to add some special guest features and more restaurant and book reviews in upcoming months. I think exciting things are ahead for L + D.
I have recently received emails from some of you containing photos of the things you made from recipes found on the site. So thrilling! Anything I can do to encourage home cooking and good eating makes me happy. Keep sending the photos my way, I would like to feature them on the site sometime soon.
Now, on to the food. When I received my copy of Baked [2] in the mail a few months ago there were two recipes that really caught my eye. The first was that sour cream coffee cake [3] which I still maintain is one of the best things ever. Ever. The second thing I made were these raspberry breakfast bars that are also delicious. Best of all, I believe they must be healthy since they have the word breakfast in the title (they contain oatmeal and fruit? Right?). These are as good for dessert or a mid-afternoon snack as they are for breakfast.They’re really simple to make and produce a minimum number of dishes to wash, always a welcome thing. We’ve been eating them for breakfast this week. It’s been a good week.
Raspberry Breakfast Bar
For the crust and crumb:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
For the raspberry filling:
- 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 pound raspberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled.
Make the crust and crumb: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch glass or light-colored metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up the two short sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.) Butter the parchment.
Put the flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until combined. Add the butter and pulse until loose crumbs form.
Reserve 1 1/4 cup of the mixture and set aside. Pour the rest of the mixture into the prepared pan and use your hands or the back of a large wooden spoon to push the crust into an even layer at the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, 15 minutes . Transfer to a wire rack and let the crust cool. Keep the oven on while you make the raspberry filling.
Make the raspberry filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon and flour together. Add the raspberries, lemon juice and butter and use your hands to toss gently until the raspberries are evenly coated.
Assemble and bake the bars: Spread the raspberry filling evenly on top of the cooled crust. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly on top of the filling.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the pan every 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling starts to bubble around the edges.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then cut into squares and serve. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two days.