Chocolate Raspberry Crumb Bars

My friend Jill made these twice over the holidays and I fell in love. They are so very delicious and I love that they incorporate fruit, nuts, and chocolate. YUM. I decided these would be a perfect Valentines treat for my workplace and they were. I highly recommend these for all to enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cups (packed) brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used Pecans)
1 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
2. Beat butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in flour, sugar, and salt until well mixed. With floured fingers, press 1 3/4 cups of crumb mixture onto bottom of greased 9x13-inch pan; reserve remaining mixture. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and allow it to cool.

 

3. Combine 1 cup chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in small, heavy-duty saucepan. Melt over low heat, stirring until smooth. Spread over cooled crust.
4. Stir nuts into reserved crumb mixture; sprinkle over chocolate filling.

5. Next drop teaspoonfuls of raspberry jam over crumb mixture. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Continue baking for 25-30 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely on wire rack. Enjoy!