So many chocolate chips, so little time.

Quite frequently, my baking adventures are spawned from a desire for something sweet following dinner.

I'll admit it. I'm a dessert addict.

This is one such dessert.

This one comes from that 350 recipe Taste of Home holiday magazine

Chocolate Chip Raspberry Bars

1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup cold butter
1 egg (I used egg substitute)
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup seedless raspberry jam (I used seeded)
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips (I used normal sized)


1. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in egg and extract just until moistened. (By this point mine had gone from crumbs to batter, just add more flour). Set aside 1 cup crumb mixture for topping.

2. Press remaining mixture into a greased pan (they used 11 by 7, I used whatever I have). Bake at 350 for 5 minutes. Spread with jam and sprinkle with crumb mixture. Bake 35-40 minutes longer or until golden brown.

3. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, return to oven for 30 secs or until chips are glossy. Cool completely on rack. Cut into bars.

I'm not sure about the 30 seconds there, I did that and all my chips fell off when I tried to cut the thing. I think next time I'd mix my chips in with my crumbs and take my chances. It would probably be a chippy, crumby mess, but it would taste goooooooood.

Here it is, fresh out of the oven and half devoured:

And the next day as I attempt to wrap one up for lunch: