Oh
my word. These crumb bars. All of the things I love. Buttery, shortbread-y
crust. Sweet fruity filling. And tart, zest-y lemon goodness! I made this
recipe on my cooking show not long ago, and I had a gal tell me she made a pan that her family ate entirely! So she went back to the market
and made a second pan for the next day! They’re just that good, and they're equally suitable for breakfast or dessert! You will want
to let them cool 1000% in order to cut them because similarly I had a report
from another gal that she rushed the cool so the bars fell all to pieces.
Don’t be that gal. Be the first gal. And make two perfectly awesome pans! Enjoy!
LEMON BLUEBERRY CRUMB BARS
Makes
one 9x13 pan
-for
the crumb-
1
cup sugar
3
cups flour
1
teaspoon baking powder
¼
teaspoon salt
½
teaspoon cinnamon
Zest
of one lemon
1
cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
1
large egg
-for
the berries-
Juice
of one lemon
½
cup sugar
4
teaspoons cornstarch
4
cups blueberries
Set
the oven to 375F. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment with enough parchment
overhanging to lift out the entire pan of bars once cooled.
In
a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and zest.
Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter and egg until a crumbly mixture forms.
Gently press half of the mixture into the bottom of the pan.
In
a separate bowl, mix together the lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch. Carefully
fold in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberries over the bottom crust, using
your fingers to evenly distribute. Cover the berries with the remaining crumb
mixture. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the crust is golden and lightly
browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool entirely. Don’t rush the cool
or the bars won’t cut cleanly.
In
a small bowl, mix together the juice of one lemon, 1 tablespoon of milk, and
enough powdered sugar to make a drizzly glaze. Carefully lift the entire slab
of bars out of the pan using the parchment sheet overlap for lifting. Drizzle
the glaze off the end of a spoon over the entire pan just before cutting and
serving.
