Raspberry Coconut Bars

Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF) and grease and line an 8×8 inch square pan.

Place butter, flour, cornstarch, sugar and salt into a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer and mix on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes until you have coarse breadcrumbs and an even, crumbly mixture. Add vanilla extract and mix for around 30 seconds to incorporate it.

Tip shortbread into prepared pan and press mixture into a level layer with the bottom of a cup, spatula, or clean hands. Press it in pretty hard! It should look smooth and tightly packed.

Place in the oven for 12–15 minutes until slightly puffy and it feels slightly firm. You’re not looking for any colouring at this stage. Remove from the oven and set aside with you prepare the topping.

For the topping, place the jam in a medium-sized bowl and microwave for 10–20 seconds, just to make it easier to spread. Spoon the jam on top of the shortbread and smooth into a level layer with a spatula, covering all of the shortbread.

Place into the oven for 15–20 minutes until ever so slightly golden around the edges and the jam is bubbling all over. Leave to cool for 30–40 minutes before sprinkling desiccated coconut all over the jam.

Leave to cool completely before transferring to a cutting board to slice into 9-12 bars. Raspberry Coconut Bars will keep in an airtight container, at room temperature, for 4 days.