Cran-raspberry Butter Bars

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup toasted sliced blanched almond
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 10 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup raspberry-cranberry frozen juice concentrate (thawed, if frozen)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 dash salt
• 10 drops red food coloring (optional)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 325°f.
• 2 crust: place almonds and confectioners sugar in food processor or blender and process until nuts are finely chopped; set aside.
• 3 cream butter in small mixer bowl.
• 4 add sugar; mix until light and fluffy.
• 5 stir in nut mixture and flour.
• 6 pat dough evenly into greased 8-inch square pan; prick with fork.
• 7 bake 30-35 minutes, or until edges are light brown and top is still pale.
• 8 topping: combine egg yolks and sugar in medium-size heavy saucepan.
• 9 stir in juice concentrate, butter and salt.
• 10 cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, 6-8 minutes (do not boil).
• 11 when mixture reaches 180° to 185° f on a candy thermometer, remove from heat.
• 12 stir in food coloring if using, and spread mixture over baked crust.
• 13 return to oven and bake for 5 minutes.
• 14 remove from oven and cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
• 15 cut into bars or diamonds to serve.