Raspberry Cobbler Bars

I bought several pints of fresh raspberries recently. I love how raspberries, especially late varieties, are one of those fruits that spans the gap between summer and fall. Unfortunately, my particular raspberries were getting to the point where they were spanning the gap between perfect and overripe, and I couldn't eat them fast enough, no matter how many bowls of cereal I topped with them. So I decided to make raspberry bars. The trouble I found with most recipes, however, is that they call for raspberry jam or preserves, rather than fresh berries. I'm not a huge fan of commercial raspberry jam, because the cloying sweetness overwhelms the berry's tartness. So I came up with my own recipe for Raspberry Cobbler Bars using fresh berries (you could also use frozen, thawed and drained berries). And tried to not eat the entire panful myself.

Raspberry Cobbler Bars with Fresh Berries

Base:
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
1 pint raspberries, 2 cups
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Topping:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If you want to be able to remove your bars from the pan easily, line a 9x9 or 9x13 (I used 9x9 for a thicker bar) with foil, leaving two inches of foil hanging over the sides. I usually don't ever bother with this step.

Combine the ingredients for the base, mixing with an electric mixer or a pastry blender until the ingredients are well-distributed and crumbly, but not in a solid mass. Pour the mixture into your pan and press with your fingers or the bottom of a glass to flatten. Bake the base for 20 minutes, or until firm and golden brown. While baking, prepare the filling and topping.

For the filling, mash the berries with the sugar in a bowl. It's nice to have a few bigger chunks, IMO. In a separate bowl, combine the topping ingredients until crumbly, but not a solid mass. Remove the base from the oven and immediately pour the raspberries over the hot base. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the berries and return the pan to the oven. Bake an additional 20 minutes, or until the berries are bubbling and the topping is golden. Cool completely before cutting and serving or, if you're like me, scoop out some of the warm not-quite-set-cobbler-bars and top with ice cream. Yum.