Bratty-Natty’s Berry Bars

WELCOME to the FIRST Annual Holiday Bake-Off here on The Daily Dish! I’d like to thank each of the lovely readers who submitted favorite recipes for me to share, and remind everyone else to say thanks by commenting below. NOW.. onto our inaugural recipe!

To really start things off right, our first festive recipe is the best of all worlds. Nutty, flaky, with a delicious whisper of sweet fruit, these cookies are decadent – yet virtually sodium free! My dear pal Natalie, aka CurlyWurlyGurly, confessed this is really her mother-in-law’s top-secret recipe.. but REALLY, who’s keeping track? Many thanks to them both for sharing.
Yields 32 bars.

SODIUM CONTENT: 5 mg per bar

INGREDIENTS

1/2 c. seedless raspberry preserves
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 c. sugar
2 egg yolks
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. very finely chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan and set aside.

Measure the preserves into a small bowl and stir until smooth. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Gradually add flour and walnuts, and mix well until dough forms a tight ball.

To assemble the bars, spread half of the batter into the prepared baking pan. Spoon the preserves over batter and smooth evenly using a pastry brush or back of a spoon. Cover the preserves with the remaining batter.

Place pan on the middle rack in oven and bake 50-60 minutes. Remove pan from oven and place on wire rack to cool. Once cool, cut into bars and serve immediately, or store in an airtight container. Can be frozen.