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Blueberry and Lemon Crumb Bars
Author/Submitted by: Marie Simmons, Bar Cookies A to Z (1994)
Servings: 24
Categories:
Cookies
/
Desserts
Ingredients:
--CRUST-- 1 1/2
cups
all-purpose flour,
unbleached
2
tablespoons
sugar 2
teaspoons
grated lemon rind 1/4
teaspoon
salt 1/2
cup
cold butter,
cut in 1/4" slices
1
large
egg yolk 1
teaspoon
vanilla extract 1
tablespoon
cold water,
optional
--FILLING-- 1/2
cup
sugar 2
tablespoons
all-purpose flour,
unbleached
1/4
teaspoon
freshly ground nutmeg 2
cups
blueberries,
rinsed and sorted
--TOPPING-- 5
tablespoons
soft butter 1/2
cup
packed light brown sugar 3/4
cup
all-purpose flour,
unbleached
confectioner's sugar
Directions:
Oven 400F / 200C. Butter is unsalted unless otherwise stated. Lightly
butter a 13- x 9-inch baking pan.
TO MAKE THE CRUST: Combine flour, sugar, lemon zest and salt in the bowl
of
a food processor. With the motor running, add pads of cold butter, a few
at
a time. In a small cup, stir together the egg yolk and vanilla. With the
motor running, gradually add the yolk mixture; process until the mixture
pulls together. If the mixture seems dry, add some to all of the cold
water.
Turn dough out (it will be crumbly) into the prepared pan; with floured
fingertips, carefully press the dough into an even layer over the bottom
of
the pan.
TO MAKE THE FILLING: In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour and
nutmet until blended. Add the blueberries; stir to coat. Spread the
blueberry-sugar mixture into an even layer over the crust.
TO MAKE TOPPING: Work the butter and sugar together with a wooden spool
until blending. Using a fork, gradually add the flour, stirring until the
mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the
blueberries.
BAKE for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees, and back
for 25 to 30 minutes longer, or until the edges and topping are browned
and
the blueberries are cooked. Cool on a wire rack before cutting into bars.
Lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
Marie likes to make these bars in midsummer when the blueberry
crop
is at its peak, but frozen berries may be used; the bars will be a
little
more moist. As the bars bake, the butter crust, sugared
blueberries and
brown-sugar crumb topping melt together. The result is a
just-sweet-enough
fruit bar that is perfect with a tall glass of lemonade or ice tea
(or so
says Marie, who is a Bon Appetit columnist and author/editor of
several
cookbooks.)
Marie likes to make these bars in midsummer when the blueberry
crop
is at its peak, but frozen berries may be used; the bars will be a
little
more moist. As the bars bake, the butter crust, sugared
blueberries and
brown-sugar crumb topping melt together. The result is a
just-sweet-enough
fruit bar that is perfect with a tall glass of lemonade or ice tea
(or so
says Marie, who is a Bon Appetit columnist and author/editor of
several
cookbooks.)
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