Take a bite into the tart sweetness of raspberry and buttery melt in your mouth shortbread with my Freshly Milled Raspberry Shortbread Bars recipe. These are filled with whole grain goodness and are freshly milled, so they still retain all the nutritious components.
One of the best things about summer is the abundance of fresh berries. I am so excited for the wild blueberries in our backyard. They will be ripe very soon! Meanwhile, a local family friend recently gifted us a large quantity of homegrown raspberries. Consequently I began thinking of all the things I could make!
We celebrated the 4th of July a few days early at our annual family cookout. I knew I wanted to make a sweet treat. Since the picnic was about 3 hours away, certainly it had to be something that could be easily transported. With the abundance of raspberries and my husband’s love of shortbread, obviously the decision didn’t take long.
This is my take on one of the most requested land ‘o lakes recipes. These bars are wonderful to take on the go. They require no refrigeration and are actually better the next day.
To make these bars healthier and more nutritious, I changed multiple things from the original recipe. I switched the types and amount of flour, cut way back on the sugar, changed the type of nuts and made my own raspberry jam. This recipe is versatile for a variety of reasons. First, the types of flour that can be used. Second, the type of nuts used (if any at all), and third, the raspberry jam filling can easily be switched to any fruit preserve or spread.
Overall, I am happy to report that everyone loved my Freshly Milled Raspberry Shortbread Bars!
HEALTH BENEFITS OF FRESHLY MILLED WHEAT
Unlike store bought flour, freshly milled wheat contains the bran and the germ. Modern milling removes the most nutritious parts of the wheat berry. The bran and germ are packed with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, fiber and healthy fats. Refined or store bought flour only contains the third component of the wheat berry, the endosperm. Which is mostly comprised of starchy carbohydrates.
Freshly milled wheat contains 40 of the 44 essential vitamins and nutrients our bodies need to be healthy.
Sue Becker, https://www.breadbeckers.com/blog/deception-of-enrichment/
Tips For Freshly Milled Raspberry Shortbread Bars:
- I used equal parts hard white wheat flour and brown rice flour, but they can be substituted for all hard white wheat or hard red wheat or a combination.
- If using all wheat flour, reduce total flour by 1/4 cup
- Substitute all brown rice flour for gluten sensitivity or gluten free diets.
- Use whatever type of jam or preserve you prefer.
- Substitute pecans for walnuts or omit nuts all together.
- If using a dark or nonstick baking pan, reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Bake 45-55 minutes.
Freshly Milled Raspberry Shortbread Bar Ingredients:
Hard white wheat– freshly milled, good nutrition and provides structure or all purpose flour
Brown rice– freshly milled, nutritious, gives shortbread a “shorter” texture
Butter– gives richness and tenderness
Walnuts– add crunch and texture, they have higher antioxidants and significantly more healthy omega-3 fats than any other common nut
Sucanat– an unrefined, natural cane sugar derived from dried can juice, adds nutrients and sweetness
Egg– adds flavor, texture and structure
Salt– I recommend an unrefined, unprocessed salt such as, Redmond’s Real Salt, Celtic Sea Salt or Himalayan
Raspberry Jam– adds favor and sweetness, you can make your own like I did here, or purchase your favorite jam or preserve
Tools you may need:
- Grain mill
- An 8 or 9 inch square baking pan
- Stand mixer or hand mixer or mix by hand
- Large mixing bowl
- Mixing spoon
- Rubber spatula
- Whisk (if mixing by hand)
- Small bowl
- Parchment paper
- Measuring cups and spoons
Can I substitute all purpose flour?
Yes, if using all purpose flour or store bought whole wheat flour, I would substitute 2 and 1/4 cups for this recipe.
Can I use a different filling?
Yes, this recipe is very versatile. You can exchange equal parts of any other jam or preserve. Also, Nutella or lemon curd would also be good choices.
Can I substitute white sugar instead of sucanat?
Any other type of sugar may be substituted.
How To Make Freshly Milled Raspberry Shortbread Bars: Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line baking pan with parchment paper. Spray with avocado oil or any non stick spray. Set aside.
Start with softened butter, or frozen shredded butter (frozen works best if using a stand or hand mixer). Beat butter and sucanat together for about 1-2 minutes. Moreover, you can use a stand mixer, hand mixer or beat by hand with whisk. Beat until putter has turned a pale yellow and is light and fluffy. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl once or twice while mixing.
Next, add about 1/3 of the flour at a time mixing in between. With last bit of flour add salt, mix. Add walnuts, mix. Finally add egg. Mix until combined.
Reserve about 2 cups of crumb mixture. Press remaining into 8×8 or 9×9 pan with greased parchment paper.
Layer jam on top of pressed bottom layer, up to 1/2 inch of sides.
Lastly, add remaining topping by crumbling into pieces on top as final layer.
Bake at 350°F or 180°C for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown.
Cool completely before removing from pan and cutting into bars.
Storage
Keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze up to 1 month.
Find More Sugar Hill Cottage Family Recipe’s
- BEST OLD-FASHIONED RASPBERRY JAM
- BEST PUERTO RICAN TRES LECHES DESSERT CAKE RECIPE
- FRESHLY MILLED SOURDOUGH SANDWICH BREAD
- FRESHLY MILLED DOUBLE CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN SOURDOUGH MUFFINS
- TRADITIONAL NONE SUCH MINCEMEAT APPLE PIE RECIPE
Freshly Milled Raspberry Shortbread Bars Recipe
If you’ve tried the recipe please let me know what you think in the comments. Love it? Give it a 5 star rating!
Freshly Milled Raspberry Shortbread Bars
A vibrant desert that is nutritious and versatile. Simple and easy, great for taking on-the-go for those busy summer days. Enjoy the tart sweetness of raspberry jam and the melt in your mouth buttery goodness of shortbread. An unbeatable flavor combination.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 cups (freshly milled) whole wheat flour
- 1 and 1/4 cups (freshly milled) brown rice flour
- 1 cup butter softened or frozen and shredded
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup sucanat sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup raspberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line baking pan with parchment paper. Spray with avocado oil or any non stick spray. Set aside.
- Start with softened butter, or frozen shredded butter (frozen works best if using a stand or hand mixer). Beat butter and sucanat together for about 1-2 minutes. You can use a stand mixer, hand mixer or beat by hand with whisk. Beat until butter has turned a pale yellow and is light and fluffy. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl once or twice while mixing.
- Add about 1/3 of the flour at a time mixing in between. With last bit of flour add salt, mix. Add walnuts, mix. Finally add egg. Mix until combined.
- Reserve about 2 cups of crumb mixture. Press remaining into 8×8 or 9×9 pan with greased parchment paper.
- Layer jam on top of pressed bottom layer, up to 1/2 inch of sides.
- Add remaining topping by crumbling into pieces on top as final layer.
- Bake at 350°F or 180°C for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown.
- Cool completely before removing from pan and cutting into bars.
Notes
STORAGE
Keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze up to 1 month. No refrigeration needed.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 25 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 151Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 111mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 1g
Laura
These look awesome! Gotta try ‘em! What type of mill do you recommend?
Jamie
Hi Laura! Thank you so much! I love my Wonder Mill, it grinds everything from oats to beans to hard wheats.
Kathleen
This looks amazing, and I love the tips for making them! I also like that you were able to make it still sweet, but cut the actual sugar down.
Jamie
They are still quite sweet too, thanks to the preserves. I appreciate your sweet comment Kathleen, thank you for stopping by!