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Health & Fitness

Jenny Bolz's Chocolate Raspberry Bars

Quick and easy dessert for Thanksgiving or your cookie exchange.

There’s always someone you know who is THE best baker around. You selfishly ask her to make dessert as often as possible. One of my friends is an excellent baker. She is a woman who works two jobs so whatever she makes it’s usually delicious and without a lot of trouble. Her name is Jenny Bolz.

Jenny happens to be the nicest person on the planet. She is always positive, I mean always positive. I have never heard one bad thing come from Jenny. She inspires me to think better about people and humanity all together. It’s a natural tendency to pick people apart but Jenny always find the good in all people.

Jenny always assisted when asked. One time I needed a dessert for the football team and she made these.  They’re absolutely delicious. My neighbor Kris was the lucky recipient of the pan of bars for his birthday.

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If you’re doing a cookie exchange, this would be a perfect addition. Raspberry and chocolate were a match made by the gods....

Notes: Jenny is much better at this than I but I could not get the crumbles to extend over the top of the bar like she can so in this recipe I increased the dough/base by 1 ½ times, as listed.

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Jenny Bolz’s Chocolate Raspberry Bars


1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks), softened
3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cups packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups (12oz) semi-sweet chips (divided) (Ghiradelli 60% cocoa)
1 ¼ cups (14oz) sweetened condensed milk (I used fat-free)
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam


Preheat the oven to 350°

Using your electric mixer fitted with the flat paddle, cream the butter flour, sugar and salt. With floured fingers, press 1 ¾ cups of the crumb mixture into greased bottom of 9 x 13 pan.  Reserve the remaining mixture to place on top later.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are golden.

Combine 1 cup of the morsels and the sweetened condensed milk in a Pyrex 4 cup measure. Microwave on high 1 minute, stir until smooth. Spread chocolate mixture over crust.

Crumble reserved crumb mixture over the chocolate filling. Place your raspberry jam into a microwave safe small bowl. Heat for 30 seconds. Drop teaspoonfuls of jam over mixture.  Sprinkle with the remaining morsels. Continue baking for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool before cutting.

Makes A LOT! Just as an aside, when you melt the chocolate and the condensed milk, IT’S YOU’VE DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN GOOD.

For more holiday treats visit www.missmarys.wordpress.com Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!

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