Mindy’s Berry Crumb Bars
Hi, y’all! Mindy from Mindy’s Bakeshop here to share a little oven love with you.
The dog days of summer are officially here! This means more pool time, more picnics, and all the fresh berries your heart desires. It also means avoiding hot kitchens like the plague, which doesn’t always set well with my sweet tooth or my friends who have come to expect a steady stream of baked goods. So what’s a baker to do when she needs a fabulous dessert but doesn’t want to spend the day sweatin’ to the oldies in triple temps? Berry crumble bars, obvi!
This sweet and simple dessert comes together in less than 15 minutes and comes out of the oven in 45, gorgeous and bubbly and buttery and perfect. What more could you ask for?! Bonus: you can put that excess summer fruit piling up in your fridge to good use! Because if you’re anything like me, you can’t resist walking past those summer berries at the market without loading up on at least twice as much as you can possibly eat. This recipe works with most any fruit (hello pear bars in the fall) but is particularly compatible with berries. Use just one or mix them up for a fun twist – the possibilities are as endless as Texas summers. Lord have mercy.
Make these babies for your next gathering! Sit around the porch and let the wave of applause from your friends and family wash over you. You should definitely make them do the dishes since you “slaved away in a hot kitchen all day just for them” (wink wink). Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.
xoxo,
Mindy
Ingredients
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
1/2 teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
4 cups fresh blueberries (if using frozen make sure to defrost and drain well)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray and line a 9″ x 13″ pan (a 9 x 9 square will also work) with parchment paper so that you have some overhang on each of the long sides. Spray parchment as well.
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 cut in butter until pea-sized. Add in egg and mix well with fork – dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan evenly.
In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the crust.
Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly browned and golden. Cool completely before gently lifting bars out of pan using parchment overhang and cutting into squares.
Yield: ~15-20 depending on how big or small you cut them.
Store at room temp or in the fridge for up to a week. (I love them either way but cold is really a treat!)
Posted in: Dessert Recipe, Guest Chef Recipe, Pro Chef Tips, Recipes