Raspberry Bars with Chocolate and Walnuts Meringue
Paula Delapenna
These bars are an explosion of flavors. The crumbly base is super buttery and light, whereas the filling is sweet thanks to the raspberry jam and dark chocolate. And the best is at the end, with the meringue and the crunchy walnuts. Four times delicious!
Add the yolk, the egg and the vanilla essence, and whisk until well combined in a fluffy and whiter batter.
With a spatula, fold in the flour with patience, until it’s well combined.
Once it’s well combined, cover the bowl and pop it into the fridge for 30 minutes.
Meringue:
Using an electric mixer, mix egg whites untill they are stiff.
Sprinkle the sugar on the egg whites, while the mixer is still on.
Once the sugar has disolved, using a spatula, fold in the chopped chocolate and walnuts very slowly, in order to make sure the egg whits don’t lose their volume.
Assembly:
Preheat your oven to 180 ºC for 5 minutes and spray a 20x30 cm tart dish (ideally, a glass one) with some non-stick spray.
On a floured countertop, roll the shortcrust 1 cm thick.
Lay the shortcrust in the tart dish and spread the raspberry jam.
Using a spoon, spread the meringue mix on the jam, making sure there are no peaks.
Pop in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the base is lightly golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let it cool completely before cutting.
Notes
BAKING: I suggest using a glass pan, so it’s easier to see when the base is fully baked. Also, to make sure the meringue doesn’t get burnt, place an empty baking sheet on the top shelf of the oven.
ASSEMBLY: If the shortcrust is at room temperatura before spreading the raspberry jam, pop it into the freezer for 5 minutes. This will help spreading the jam and not breaking the base dough.
STORAGE: Store it in an air-tight container in the fridge for a week. Or you can also freeze it, previously cut, for two months.