Nightmare Bars (Devil Bars)
A chocolate-raspberry response to the Joy of Cooking’s Dream Bars (Angel Bars). This recipe has no added salt. My son is on a sodium restricted diet, and this is a dessert which he can eat, but in moderation because of the high caloric content. If you wish, you could add ½ tsp salt each to the crust and filling dry ingredients lists and use regular baking powder.

Ingredients:

FOR THE CRUST
8 tablespoons (I stick) unsalted butter, softened
5 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg yolk (reserve white for filling)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder

FOR THE FILLING (2 layers)
6 ounces seedless raspberry preserve
2 tablespoon cornstarch

6 ounces chocolate chips
6 ounces finely chopped pecans
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder substitute (sodium free- available at health food stores or online)
1 large egg plus white from crust (above), beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

FOR THE ICING
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons raspberry syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Have all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 x 1 pan with non-stick aluminum foil, leaving about a 2 inch overhang on the narrow sides. Spray with cooking spray.

Beat together butter, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla until fluffy and well blended. Stir in flour and cocoa powder and knead until blended and smooth. The mixture will be slightly crumbly. Firmly press dough into the pan, creating a smooth and even layer. Bake for 10 minutes, set aside to cool.

Place the nuts on a baking sheet in a thin layer. Bake for about 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Let cool.

Place the raspberry preserves in a comfortable bowl and sift the cornstarch over the preseves,stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Set aside.

Food process the chocolate chips until the size of the pecan, add the pecans and process until blended. Scrape into alarge bowl, add the brown sugar, flour,and baking powder substitute and mix well. Stir the vanilla into the beaten eggs and stir into the dry ingredients until well combined.

Spread the raspberry mixture evenly over the baked crust.

Carefully spread the pecan-chocolate mixture evenly over the raspberry mixture and bake for about 20-25 minutes. The top should be firm and golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle should come out slightly wet.

In a double boiler on low, melt the butter, sift and add the powdered sugar, whisking constantly until smooth. Whisk in the raspberry syrup and gently simmer for about five minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla. Fill small ziplock bag with icing, squeeze out excess air and cool in refrigerator.

Let the pan stand until completely cool. Take icing out of refrigerator and cut a tiny hole in one corner of the bag. Pipe squiggly patterns onto the cake. Lift the foil out of the baking dish and carefully peel from sides. Cut bars into squares about 2X2.

Yield: about 24-2X2 bars @ about 1 3/4 ounces each