Chocolate Raspberry Bars (an easy yet decadent treat for Valentine's Day!)

(Hello all! Surprised to see me? I'll be posting an explanation about where I've been for such a long time and why, very shortly. In the meantime, here's a sweet treat for Valentine's Day.  Enjoy!)

This is my adaptation of a cookie mix recipe found on the Betty Crocker website. You know me... I've gotta add chocolate whenever and wherever I can! LOL

Chocolate Raspberry Bars

• 2 Pouches Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
• 1/2 Lb Butter, (2 sticks) softened to room temperature
• 2 Lg Eggs
• 1 Cup + 4 Tbls Seedless Raspberry Jam/Preserves, divided
• 1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
• 1/4 Cup All Pourpose Flour

Glaze/Drizzle

• 4 Tbls Seedless Raspberry Jam/Preserves
• Warm water
• 1/4 Cup Confectioner's Sugar
• 6-8oz Semi Sweet Chocolate Morsels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare a 13x9x2 baking dish by lining it with parchment paper or foil. This will make it much easier to remove the finished product from the pan in one large piece. (see short video at the bottom of this post to learn how to do this)

In a large mixing bowl, add 1 pouch of the cookie mix and the cocoa powder. Using a whisk or a fork, combine them so they are pretty evenly mixed together.  Add one stick of the softened butter, one egg (lightly beaten) and mix it all together to form the dough. Instead of using a hand or stand mixer, I use a buscuit cutter style chopper (you could use a fork) to work the dough into large crumbly pieces. (see photo below)

Dump the crumbled dough into your prepared pan and press it out to the corners and edges as evenly as possible.

Spread 1 Cup of Raspberry Jam onto the dough and set aside.

Using a second mixing bowl (or rinsing and drying the the bowl you just used) start the next layer. Add the second pouch of cookie mix and the 1/4 C of AP flour and whisk them together. Add in the other stick of softened butter and the second lightly beaten egg and again, using a cutter or fork, mix until you have large crumbles of soft dough. This time you want to drop the crumbles onto the jam layer as you would a cobbler or coffee cake topping.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (depending on your oven) until the top is golden brown. Check it at 20 to 25 minutes just to be sure it doesn't burn. Prepare the raspberry glaze and chocolate drizzle while the bars are baking. (Photo instructions after this set of photos)

Once it's completely cooled, lift it out of the pan with the ends of the parchment paper and place it on a large cutting board or clean counter top. Drizzle with the raspberry glaze and melted chocolate and allow it to set up for about 30 minutes in a cool dry place before cutting it up into bars.

Enjoy!!

For the Raspberry Glaze and Chocolate Drizzle

Thin jam with warm tap water, add confectioner's sugar one heaping spoonful at a time until you've reached pourable thickness. Place in zip-top bag and snip a tiny bit off one corner. Drizzle liberally over bars.

Melt chocolate morsels in microwave 15 to 20 seconds at a time until it reaches pourable consistency. Place in zip-top bag, snip off a tiny bit of one corner and drizzle liberally over bars.

How to line a baking pan with parchment paper:

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