Last fall we planted a small plot of one of my favorite fruits – Raspberries.

In my youth I’d walk thru the brambles picking berries and shoving them in my mouth by the hand full as fast as I could, my Grandfather right beside me. You could always hear my Grandmother a couple rows over muttering at us to save some for everyone else.

Nothing has changed. Pat and I pick berries only to go back to the house with sticky hands and half empty bowls…

Crust Ingredients:

3/4 c unsalted butter

3/4 c light brown sugar

3/4 tsp salt

2 c whole wheat flour

1/3 c all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 c orange  juice

2 tsp almond extract

Filling Ingredients:

5 – 6 c fresh or frozen raspberries (thawed in a large saucepan if frozen)

1 1/4 c light brown sugar

6 Tbsp corn starch

1/8 tsp salt

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp almond extract

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Topping Ingredients:

3/4 c whole wheat flour

2/3 c slivered almonds

1/2 c light brown sugar

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp orange juice

1/4 c cold unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and lightly grease a 9 x 13 in pan.

To make the crust, beat the butter, sugar, orange juice, almond extract and salt in a large bowl until creamy. Then add both flours and baking powder. Mix until just combined. Mixture with be crumbly and dry. Place dough in prepared pan and pat it until it covers the bottom. Prick the dough at two inch intervals with a fork.

Bake the crust until just beginning to brown, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 5 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Bring the pan of raspberries to a slow simmer over medium heat. Stir in sugar, corn starch and salt. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in butter, cinnamon, lemon juice and almond extract. Pour filling over crust.

To make the topping, mix the flour, almonds, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Stir in the orange juice and then cut in the butter until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Sprinkle the topping over the filling.

Place in oven and bake until filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Remove the bars from the oven and let cool for about 30 minutes.