Mom's Christmas Feather Squares Serves 12 When I was growing up, I knew that when these delicious bars were in the larder, Christmas could not be too far behind. Christmas was the only time my mother made these and we certainly looked forward to seeing them every year. A moist and delicious cake type base covered with sweet raspberry preserves and a lovely meringue topped with toasted coconut on top make these holiday winners! 4 TBS butter, softened 3 large eggs, the whites and yolks carefully separated and put into two different bowls 1 cup sugar, divided (190g, in two lots of 95g each) 2 TBS milk 1 tsp baking powder 1 TBS cornstarch 1 cup flour (140g) 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup raspberry preserves (4 large dessertspoonfuls) Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Lightly butter an 8 inch square baking pan and dust with flour. Set aside. Cream together the butter and 1/2 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla. sift together the flour, baking powder, cornstarch and salt. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, mixing together until smooth. Spread this mixture into the prepared pan. Bake in the heated oven for 20 minutes, until lightly browned and the top springs back when lightly touched. Remove from the oven and immediately spread with the raspberry jam. Beat the egg whites until foamy. Continue to beat, adding the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar slowly until the mixture it stiff and glossy. Spread this over the top of the jam and sprinkle with the coconut. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown and the coconut is toasty. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before cutting into squares with a wet knife. These are best eaten on the day they are baked. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. |