Blueberry Crumb Bars

 

I brought this treat to school a few weeks ago, and I kid you not, they were gone in a flash!  The kids have this smile on their faces, sort of like the pudding face we see in ads. Thanks to my friend who went blueberry-picking and gave me all those delicious fresh blueberries! 

These blueberry bars were great, and I especially loved the "fresh from the oven" texture of the crumbs. I got the recipe here.


What you need:

1 cup + 1/2 cup sugar (divided)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 (8 oz) sticks of cold unsalted butter
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
zest and juice of one lemon
4 cups of blueberries
4 teaspoons corn starch


What to do: 

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9 X 13 pan with butter or cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, mix 1 cup of sugar, 3 cups all-purpose flour and baking powder. Add in salt and lemon zest. Using a fork, blend in the butter and egg. Dough should be crumbly. Pat half of the dough into prepared pan.

In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently fold in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble the remaining dough over the berry layer.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting in squares.

Gimme those crumbs!

Tips, Tricks or Tweaks: 

1. You can use any kind of berry for this recipe!
2. Best served warm with ice cream.
3. Frozen blueberry can also be used - just thaw them before mixing them in.
4. Adding a teaspoon of vanilla to the crumb mixture will bring out more flavor.