CHOCOLATE-RASPBERRY CRUMB BARS
Carole Zwycewicz, Port Jefferson Station

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12-ounce package) semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With an electric mixer, beat butter in large mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in flour, sugar and salt until well mixed and crumbly. Press 1 3/4 cups of the crumb mixture into the bottom of a greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan; reserve remaining crumb mixture. Bake until edges are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

2. While bars bake, combine 1 cup of chocolate chips with the sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan. Melt chips over low heat, stirring until smooth. When pan comes out of the oven, pour chocolate over the hot crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the chocolate filling. Drop teaspoonfuls of raspberry preserves over the crumb mixture. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Return to oven and continue baking until the center is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool and cut into bars. Makes 24 to 36 cookies.