Raspberry Shortbread.

JoyfulCook's Note:

A delicious shortbread topped with jam and coconut! From an old Country Womans Association cookbook in Australia. In imperial measures as this was well before metric arrived!

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 16

• 4 ounces butter
• 1 ½ cups self raising flour
• 1 ½ cups desiccated coconut
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4 tablespoons raspberry jam

Directions:

1. Line a roasting dish with foil, leaving enough room at either end so you can immediately lift it out.
2. Beat butter and half of the sugar to a cream. Add 1 beaten egg; mix well, then add the flour. Knead well and cover the base of the pan with the shortbread. It is easy to take small pieces and flatten in your hand first. Spread thinly with raspberry jam.
3. Mix the remaining sugar with 1 egg, adding the coconut mix together well. Carefully add all over the top, using a fork to cover properly. Bake at 150°C (300°F) for about 30 minutes. Coconut should be nicely browned.
4. Lift out the shortbread as soon as its cooked - using the extra foil on both sides of the roasting dish, place on a cutting board then cut into squares immediately and leave to cool.

Reviews

[**Tinkerbell**]

Little did I know this seeminly simple recipe was going to be a learning experience. lol I usually wouldn't assign a full 5 stars if I have to change a recipe, but this case is different. The contrast between the buttery shortbread, the slightly tangy raspberry jam & the crunchy coconut topping is out of this world. DH doesn't like coconut but has helped scarf down three pans of this recipe! First attempt was delicious but we had to eat it with a spoon. I conversed with Joy, then did some research & found that desiccated coconut in my part of the world is commonly sweetened. The extra sugar in the topping made the bars into soup. I ordered through the mail medium grind unsweetened desiccated coconut. Second attempt with the right coconut made a perfect topping but the shortbread wouldn't cook through in the center. Third attempt was a combination of changes my mom & I discussed during her holiday visit while making the second batch. We were able to bring several bars for tasters to Thanksgiving dinner & they were a big hit. Today I have SUCCESS! (DH also located & purchased unsweetened coconut at our local grocery store in the health food section.) My trials may just have something to do with humidity or altitude in my area. I don't know. But the following is what worked for me. I used an 8 1/2 x 10 1/2 stoneware bar cookie pan. Increased the flour by 1/4 cup, decreased the sugar in the cookie to 2/3 cup, spread the dough into the pan & baked it uncovered for 15 minutes. I let it cool for 15 minutes then spread the jam & topping. Baked again for 30 minutes. Followed the rest of the instructions from there. I highly recommend this recipe as it IS very easy & so delicious. Thanks to Joy for sharing this recipe. We'll no doubt be making it again & again!

[mummamills]

very good and easy comfort food!! had to add a little more flour, but all flours are different :) Came together well, and my husband has eaten half the tray in a day :)

[Tasty Tidbits]

WOW! Joy served these delicious sqaures to us after lunch the other day and I was so impressed! They were really tasty...not too sweet....just right. My Todd loved them as well. I will be making these soon as I can think of a few people that will enjoy them...and seriously I could have eaten tha whole plateful myself! Hmm....a bit dangerous...I'll have to keep them under lock and key so I DON'T eat them all myself!