Raspberry Squares

For Pastry:

2 c flour
3/4 c butter
1/3 c sugar
2 Tbsp milk

For Filling:

1 12 oz jar raspberry jam, preferably seedless

For Topping:

2 oz chopped walnuts
4 oz shredded, sweetened coconut
1 c sugar
3 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350°

Place raspberry jam in the top of a small double boiler over hot, not boiling, water, and heat.

Cut flour into butter with wire pastry blender, or be lazy like me and use your electric mixer.
Add sugar and milk and continue cutting until mixture is uniform. As with pie crust, don't overmix, or the dough will be tough.

Grease a 13 x 9 x 2 pan and press dough evenly over the bottom, and a little way up the sides, packing it down with your fingers.

By now, the jam should be soft enough to spread over your pastry. Using a spatula, make sure jam is spread evenly over the dough.

Now, make the topping. Beat the eggs, then stir in sugar, nuts, and coconut.

Distribute evenly, by spoonfuls, over raspberry layer and spread gently with spoon or spatula, all the way to the edges of the pan. Avoid working too vigorously, as jam will leak through the top crust, and we can't have that, now, can we?

Bake for 30 minutes, then turn oven off and leave pan in closed oven for 10 minutes longer.

Remove pan from oven, loosen pastry from sides with a spatula, and cut in squares.

Wait 10 more minutes, then carefully remove squares, one at a time, to a wire rack covered with wax paper.

OK, I know this sounds like a colossal pain in the arse, but these squares are really worth it. Trust me. They are messy, though, and that's why all Mumsy's Anal-Retentive-Chef neatness tricks are included here. Be thankful I left out the Refuse Bags, and enjoy the squares. I guarantee you'll want to make them again and again.