Blueberry-Lemon Crumb Bars

Thursday, May 17, 2012

One of my favorite things about summer is having berries for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When I buy berries I usually tend to lean towards strawberries, but this week when I saw how plump and colorful the blueberries were, I couldn't resist. I immediately knew I was going to bake with them. There is something about their flavor that gets even better in the oven. Am I right? I will warn you though, these bars aren't overly sweet. Instead, the hint of lemon adds some acidity and helps highlight the slightly tart flavor of the berries. The result? A mouth full of summery goodness. 

Blueberry-Lemon Crumb Bars
Ingredients
Crust/topping:
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold
1 c. + 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
¼ tsp. salt

Filling:
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
4½ c. fresh blueberries
½ c. + 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
4½ tsp. cornstarch
¼ tsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch pan (baking Pam works great).
2. To prepare the crust/topping: in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, and baking powder and salt. Using a pastry cutter, blend in the butter and egg until the dough becomes crumbly. With your hands, pat half of dough into the bottom of prepared pan. Set aside.
3. To prepare the filling: in a medium mixing bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, lemon juice, and zest. Carefully fold in blueberries, making sure to coat the berries evenly. Pour the blueberry mixture over the crust. Adjust any blueberries that are out of place, filling in "holes." Evenly sprinkle remaining topping over the berry layer.
4. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the top begins to brown and the blueberries bubble. Remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool (about 30 minutes). Cut into bars or squares when cool.
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen- Blueberry Crumb Bars | Makes approximately 24 bars

15 Comments:

  1. Oh my goodness these look delicious! I love anything with blueberries or lemon!

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  2. Wow, those look good! What a great flavor combination.

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  3. We love the combo of blueberry and lemon! Thanks for sharing at Church Supper. Have a blessed week & come back soon ~EMM

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  4. What a wonderful dessert. I cannot wait to try this one. Come and visit us. We have some terrific recipes to share this week.

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  5. Blueberries and lemon are one of my favorite flavor combos! These bars sound delicious!

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  6. M mouth is watering just looking at these! Must try...

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  7. These look amazing. I have about 15 lbs of blueberries left over from last summer in the freezer and I think some will end up in this dish. I would love it if you would share this on Tout It Tuesday. http://www.claimingourspace.com/2012/05/tout-it-tuesday-7.html

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  8. Can't wait to make em'!!

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  9. Made these last night and they were delicious! I only had frozen blueberries but it didn't seem to matter.

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    Replies
    1. I'm so glad you tried them and liked them! Thanks for stopping by!

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  10. your pictures get me every time!

    amazing

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  11. well done as always - my family would adore these squares!
    xo
    http://allykayler.blogspot.ca/

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  12. Blueberries and lemons are a match made in heaven! These look fantastic!

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  13. You've been featured over at my blog! http://acraftycook.blogspot.com/2012/07/1-month-of-fun-july-link-party.html

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