Friday, July 6, 2012

berry crumble bars


I'm backkk! I know you missed me or at least my treats. Honestly, these berry crumble bars were too good not to share. Berries are the one millionth reason I love summer. When I walked into the grocery store today, I had the choice of raspberries, blueberries, strawberries or blackberries... all in one place! I'm like a pack rat when berry season comes around, I buy a ton and throw them in the freezer to find them a year later and make bars like these. Ha just kidding, I used fresh berries to make these but I will not think twice about making them again this fall with frozen berries. These bars have a buttery, shortbread crust, layered with sweet gooey berries, and a sprinkle of crumble on top... it doesn't get much easier. The hardest part of these bars is waiting for them to completely cool before cutting into them. I say that wait time is only necessary if these bars are going to make it out of your kitchen because I'm not sure mine will. I used blackberries and raspberries in these bars but strawberries or blueberries or any mix of them would work.

Berry Crumble Bars
makes 9x13 pan

for the berry layer:
5 c. berries (any mix of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or blueberries)
juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 c.)
1/4-1/2 c. sugar, depending on sweetness of berries
4 tsp of cornstarch (or 8 tbsp of all-purpose flour)

for the crumble:
1 c. sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. cold, unsalted butter -- grated
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
zest of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line or grease a 9x13 pan.


Stir together berries, lemon juice, sugar and cornstarch. Set aside. 


In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, baking powder, and flour. Using a pasty blender or your hands, mix the cold, grated butter and the egg into the flour mixture until it is crumbly. Spread half of this mixture in the 9x13 pan and pat down. Evenly spread the berry mixture over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining flour/butter mixture on top of the berry layer. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until berries are bubbly and crust is slightly golden. Cool bars completely before cutting into squares.


And make sure to check out the crumble creations from the lovely bloggers listed below, we started a recipe club last month and will be picking a new recipe each month to each make our own way!


Parsley Sage at The Deep Dish: http://psdeepdish.blogspot.com/
Maureen at the Orgasmic Chef: http://www.orgasmicchef.com/

Matt at Grad School Chef: http://www.gradschoolchef.com/
Claire at Simply Sweet Justice: http://www.simplysweetjustice.com

Adapted recipe from: Erica's Sweet Tooth

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