Blueberry Crumble Bars!!

So I confess I've never actually really truly eaten blueberries before. Weird, I know. But when I saw this recipe, I was dying to try it. I was not disappointed.

I changed the recipe slightly by using a 8 x 8 pyrex pan (instead of the 9 x 13 recommended). Because of this, I probably had a thicker bottom than the original recipe called for. I did leave out about 1/4 of the crumble crust before baking because my pan was much smaller. Also, the recipe says to use the zest and juice of a whole lemon, but oddly I only had half a lemon available. We had used up all our lemons the night before with a fish dinner even though I had planned to use those lemons in this recipe for awhile now. It wasn't noticeable at all.


This was really simple to make and it produced amazing results. I mean AMAZING! Just put down your crust, slab on the blueberries, and sprinkle over the topping. Then pop it in the oven and wait. And although it says to eat the bars chilled, I just had to try it warm. Eaten warm, it has a cobbler taste to it. Not bad at all. But chilled, well then the true flavors come out and you're blown away! I did add some whipped cream to mine. It covers the flavors a bit but if you eat them separately, like one then the other, then it's "money".


Blueberry Crumble Bars
from Smitten Kitchen

1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

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

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. (This took an extra 10 to 15 minutes in my oven.) Cool completely before cutting into squares.