Raspberry crumb squares and chocolate zucchini bread

Raspberry Crumb Squares

Raspberry Filling

2 bags of frozen raspberries

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

The juice from one lemon

Crumble Layer

3 cups rolled oats (NOT quick oats!)

3 cups flour

2 cups loosely packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups salted butter (melted)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Place raspberries in a large colander and allow to thaw and drain for about an hour. Make sure they’re filled softened. (I collect the juice in a container for Jam or coulis in other recipes) Mix the raspberries with the white sugar, flour, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Set aside to assemble crust.

For the crust  Mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, butter, and salt together into a loose crumb mixture. Press 2/3 of the crumble into the bottom of a 9×13 pan lined with parchment paper (I use 2 pieces, one across from side to side and a second perpendicular, it lets you lift it out after baking) 

Bake for 10 minutes to allow to set.

Spread the raspberry mixture over the prebaked crust layer and then sprinkle the remaining crumbs on top.

Bake for another 25-30 minutes.

Finish: Remove from oven. Give the bars 5 minutes to cool slightly and then cut while the crust is still soft. Allow the bars to cool for a few hours and you should be able to just pop them apart after pulling out of they tray. Great for potlucks.

1 cup AP flour

1/4 cup dark red cocoa

1/4 cup Dutch cocoa

1/8 cup black cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs at room tem

1/4 cup butter melted and slightly cooled

1/4 cup grape seed oil, or melted coconut oil

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tps vanilla

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (packed and slightly drained)

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 up semi sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup sea salt caramel chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together flour, salt, baking soda and set aside

In a large mixing bowl cream together oil,and butter.

Add sugar and allow to mix together then incorporate the eggs 

Add all three cocoas and mix well.

Add in the flour and then the shredded zucchini.

By hand mix in the various chocolate chips.

Cut a piece of parchment to size and allow to hang out on either side of your pan.

Spray the bottom of the pan and sides as well as a spray on top of the parchment.

Dump the mixture into the pan and set the oven for 45 minutes or until a bread knife comes out clean.