Raspberry Crumble Bars
Indulge in these irresistible Raspberry Crumble Bars, featuring a buttery almond shortbread crust that perfectly cradles a luscious raspberry filling. Topped with a creamy vanilla custard and a fragrant cardamom almond crumble, each bite is a delightful explosion of flavor and texture. Whip up this scrumptious treat and impress your friends and family with a dessert they'll crave again and again!
Prep
30
min
Cook
70
min
Serves
12
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 12🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 225g Unsalted Butter, room temp (15.8 tbsp)
- 140g Unsalted Butter, cubed/fridge temp (9.8 tbsp)
- 6 Egg Yolks
- 500ml Full Fat Milk (16.9 fl oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(9)
- 1.5tsp Almond Extract (7.5 ml)
- 225g Plain Flour, sifted (1.8 cup)
- 20g Flour (0.16 cup)
- 200g Plain Flour (1.6 cup)
- 110g Caster Sugar (0.55 cup)
- 25g Caster Sugar (0.12 cup)
- 100g Caster Sugar (0.5 cup)
- 100g Demerara Sugar (0.5 cup)
- 2tsp Vanilla Bean Paste (10 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 3/4tsp Cardamom (3.75 ml)
📦Other(6)
- 50g Flaked Almonds (1.76 oz)
- 100g Cornflour/starch, sifted (3.53 oz)
- 1tsp Cornflour/starch (5 ml)
- 25g Cornflour/starch (0.88 oz)
- 1/2 Gelatine Sheet or 1/4tsp Agar Agaror 1/4tsp agar agar
- 500g Raspberries, fresh or frozen (17.6 oz)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
1. Make shortbread by creaming together butter. Mix flours in a separate bowl before adding to butter. Mix until combined.
- 2
2. Line 20cm x 30cm tin. Press in shortbread to base. Level out using a flat-bottomed glass or cake scraper. Prick base with fork, place in freezer for 30 mins. Bake at 165C fan for 35-40 mins, cover with foil after 30 to avoid too much browning.
- 3
3. Remove and press down on biscuit to flatten any risen bits.
- 4
4. Whilst baking/cooling, pop ¾ of berries & sugar to pan and cook over medium heat until berries soften slightly and start to release some juice. Sift in the cornflour, mix. Remove pan from heat, add remaining berries. Leave to cool.
- 5
5. Once cool, make custard. Add gelatin sheet to bowl of cold water. Use whisk to mix yolks in bowl with sugar & flours until smooth. Add milk to saucepan with vanilla and bring to near boil.
- 6
6. Pour 1/3 of milk to egg yolks & whisk immediately until smooth. Pour egg yolk milk back into saucepan.
- 7
7. Reduce heat & stir custard. Keep stirring until thick spreadable consistency.
- 8
8. Take pan off heat, add softened gelatin sheet/agar agar, mix well & heat for a further minute. Pour on top of cooled shortbread before adding berries.
- 9
9. Make crumble. Add butter, sugar, flour & cardamom to bowl. Use fingers to rub in butter until resembles breadcrumbs. Add flaked almonds, mix with a fork. Pour on top of berries & bake at 175C fan for 30 mins.
- 10
10. Cool & leave to set.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Blind bake your shortbread base at exactly 165°C fan for 35-40 minutes because this temperature creates the Maillard reaction without overbrowning, developing nutty flavors while maintaining structural integrity.technique165°C fan, 35-40 minutes
- ✓Freeze the pressed shortbread base for exactly 30 minutes before baking to prevent shrinkage - cold butter creates steam pockets that maintain the base's shape and prevent puffing.timing30 minutes
- ✓Temper your custard by adding only 1/3 of the hot milk to egg yolks first because this gradual temperature increase prevents proteins from coagulating above 85°C, which would create scrambled eggs.technique1/3 ratio, 85°C threshold
- ✓Cook only 3/4 of the raspberries initially because pectin is released at 80-85°C, creating natural thickening while leaving 1/4 fresh berries maintains textural contrast and bright flavor.ingredient3/4 cooked ratio
- ✓Press down the baked shortbread immediately after removal while still hot because the butter is still soft and malleable, eliminating air pockets that would create uneven custard spreading.timingimmediately while hot
Share this recipe
Prep
30
min
Cook
70
min
Serves
12
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Raspberry Crumble Bars
Indulge in these irresistible Raspberry Crumble Bars, featuring a buttery almond shortbread crust that perfectly cradles a luscious raspberry filling. Topped with a creamy vanilla custard and a fragrant cardamom almond crumble, each bite is a delightful explosion of flavor and texture. Whip up this scrumptious treat and impress your friends and family with a dessert they'll crave again and again!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 12🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 225g Unsalted Butter, room temp (15.8 tbsp)
- 140g Unsalted Butter, cubed/fridge temp (9.8 tbsp)
- 6 Egg Yolks
- 500ml Full Fat Milk (16.9 fl oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(9)
- 1.5tsp Almond Extract (7.5 ml)
- 225g Plain Flour, sifted (1.8 cup)
- 20g Flour (0.16 cup)
- 200g Plain Flour (1.6 cup)
- 110g Caster Sugar (0.55 cup)
- 25g Caster Sugar (0.12 cup)
- 100g Caster Sugar (0.5 cup)
- 100g Demerara Sugar (0.5 cup)
- 2tsp Vanilla Bean Paste (10 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 3/4tsp Cardamom (3.75 ml)
📦Other(6)
- 50g Flaked Almonds (1.76 oz)
- 100g Cornflour/starch, sifted (3.53 oz)
- 1tsp Cornflour/starch (5 ml)
- 25g Cornflour/starch (0.88 oz)
- 1/2 Gelatine Sheet or 1/4tsp Agar Agaror 1/4tsp agar agar
- 500g Raspberries, fresh or frozen (17.6 oz)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
1. Make shortbread by creaming together butter. Mix flours in a separate bowl before adding to butter. Mix until combined.
- 2
2. Line 20cm x 30cm tin. Press in shortbread to base. Level out using a flat-bottomed glass or cake scraper. Prick base with fork, place in freezer for 30 mins. Bake at 165C fan for 35-40 mins, cover with foil after 30 to avoid too much browning.
- 3
3. Remove and press down on biscuit to flatten any risen bits.
- 4
4. Whilst baking/cooling, pop ¾ of berries & sugar to pan and cook over medium heat until berries soften slightly and start to release some juice. Sift in the cornflour, mix. Remove pan from heat, add remaining berries. Leave to cool.
- 5
5. Once cool, make custard. Add gelatin sheet to bowl of cold water. Use whisk to mix yolks in bowl with sugar & flours until smooth. Add milk to saucepan with vanilla and bring to near boil.
- 6
6. Pour 1/3 of milk to egg yolks & whisk immediately until smooth. Pour egg yolk milk back into saucepan.
- 7
7. Reduce heat & stir custard. Keep stirring until thick spreadable consistency.
- 8
8. Take pan off heat, add softened gelatin sheet/agar agar, mix well & heat for a further minute. Pour on top of cooled shortbread before adding berries.
- 9
9. Make crumble. Add butter, sugar, flour & cardamom to bowl. Use fingers to rub in butter until resembles breadcrumbs. Add flaked almonds, mix with a fork. Pour on top of berries & bake at 175C fan for 30 mins.
- 10
10. Cool & leave to set.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Blind bake your shortbread base at exactly 165°C fan for 35-40 minutes because this temperature creates the Maillard reaction without overbrowning, developing nutty flavors while maintaining structural integrity.technique165°C fan, 35-40 minutes
- ✓Freeze the pressed shortbread base for exactly 30 minutes before baking to prevent shrinkage - cold butter creates steam pockets that maintain the base's shape and prevent puffing.timing30 minutes
- ✓Temper your custard by adding only 1/3 of the hot milk to egg yolks first because this gradual temperature increase prevents proteins from coagulating above 85°C, which would create scrambled eggs.technique1/3 ratio, 85°C threshold
- ✓Cook only 3/4 of the raspberries initially because pectin is released at 80-85°C, creating natural thickening while leaving 1/4 fresh berries maintains textural contrast and bright flavor.ingredient3/4 cooked ratio
- ✓Press down the baked shortbread immediately after removal while still hot because the butter is still soft and malleable, eliminating air pockets that would create uneven custard spreading.timingimmediately while hot