Sunday Sweets: Blueberry Crumb Bars

A few things before I get to this delicious recipe. First, I’m moving halfway across the country on Friday! Agh! I’m going to try to cook and photograph at least a couple things this week so I’ll have some posts for you guys whilst the craziness of the move and living in temporary housing is going on for the next few weeks.
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Second, I started a Tumblr to house photos and random stuff that doesn’t really fit on here. Mostly, it’s for pictures of all the delicious food that I eat. And probably photos of my adorable cat. Please follow if you’re a Tumblr user, and I’ll happily follow you back! After all, if you read this blog, you must be awesome.
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Third, it continues to amaze me how much attention my Butterbeer Cupcakes draw on a daily basis. I’m thinking of something special (Butterbeer Cupcakes Redux, if you will) to celebrate the final Harry Potter movie in July. If you have any ideas, suggestions, or things you want to see me make, please leave a comment or send an email! You guys are awesome.
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Now, for another edition of Sunday Sweets (things that aren’t at all good for you but warrant a post anyway because they’re so delicious). This recipe comes from Smitten Kitchen, whom I can always trust for amazing recipes and pictures. I had quite a lot of blueberries to use and these bars were perfect! Sweet, blueberry-y, with a hint of lemon and a beautiful crunchy, buttery crumb on top. Delightful. I won’t say much else because I know you’re here for the food, so here we go:

I halved the recipe, so just ignore my amounts. But you’ll need blueberries (of course), butter, an egg, flour, sugar, baking powder, and cornstarch. So easy! You’ll also need a lemon, but I didn’t have one so I used bottled lemon juice (shh, don’t tell my secret shame).

Combine your flour, baking powder, salt, a cup of sugar, and lemon zest (I used juice) in a bowl.

Cut your cold butter into chunks, then cut it into the flour mixture using a fork or pastry cutter until it’s crumbly. It is a crumble, after all.

Press half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of a prepared pan (9×13″ if you’re making the whole recipe). Then, mix your blueberries, the rest of the sugar, cornstarch, and the lemon juice, and spread the berries evenly over the crumb.

Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture over the top of the blueberries, then bake.

Bake until golden brown and delicious on top.

These cut much, much easier after they’re chilled, so try to resist eating them until they’ve cooled down! They also taste better when cold, so these are a dessert best kept in the fridge. When they’re cold, they’re really refreshing—perfect for summer.

In my opinion, these are way better than a pie. They’re better for portion control and portability, so they’re perfect for summer cookouts, picnics, and whatnot, but they still have plenty of fruity, sugary, buttery goodness.

These bars couldn’t be more delicious or easier to make. You could make them with any berry you like! I’m trying strawberries next, and raspberries would also be tasty. Mix n’ match and enjoy!
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Blueberry Crumb Bars
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Makes 32 bars
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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
1/4 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
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1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
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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.
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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. Cool completely before cutting into squares.