Sweet Bites: Blueberry Crumb Bars

This is a pan full of deliciousness - Blueberry Crumb Bars, to be precise

The Occasion: Blueberry season – it doesn’t last forever, you know!

I went looking for a reason to make these Blueberry Crumb Bars. Thankfully Ilise had an office meeting to which she brought these snacks. (I cannot be trusted with a panful of these in the house. Sad.)

The Recipe: This recipe jumped out at me from Allrecipes, contributed by A. Beavers. It is easy to follow and delicious. I really appreciate the authenticity of the Allrecipes site – this is real food from real people sharing their know-how for some real great eats. 

What Makes It Special: Not pre-cooking the blueberry filling saves time and mess. In fact, the recipe does a good job overall simplifying potentially complicated steps – a big help for novice cooks, and those pressed for time. (Which is everyone, right?!)

Serve With: A smile. Seriously, these treats need nothing else. But if you want to be truly decadent, crumble a Crumb Bar into a bowl, heat it in the microwave for 10 seconds, and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yup, you’re welcome. Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

The Verdict: There are many variations of this recipe out in the world. This version is flavorful, fast and easy – excellent qualities in a Crumble. But I’ll make a few small changes next time: A) Add texture to the topping with oats; and B) Prebake the bottom crust for about 7 minutes before adding the berries and topping.

DO bake these bars, my friends. Blueberry season will not last forever, but your fond memories of this dessert most certainly will!

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Blueberry Crumb Bars
Recipe source: A. Beavers at Allrecipes. We modified it only slightly - butter instead of shortening, mixing with a food processor rather than by hand, and pre-baking the crust.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup butter, chopped and chilled
• 1 egg, room temperature, slightly beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 4 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 teaspoons cornstarch
• Optional: ¾ cup oats

 
DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
• Place 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times to mix the ingredients together.
• Add the cold butter to the dry ingredients and pulse until the ingredients start to come together. (10-12 one-second bursts, give or take.) You will see pea-sized crumbles.
• Scrape down the sides of the food processor and add the beaten egg. Pulse again until thoroughly mixed and the dough has formed into a crumbly dough.
• Pat half of dough into the prepared pan. Press it firmly to reach into the corners, and so there's an even thickness all over.
• Bake the crust for 7 minutes. Let the pan rest on a cooling rack for 5 minutes.
• Optional: You can increase the texture and flavor by adding oats to the crumb topping. Add ¾ cup oats to the remaining dough in the food processor. Pulse several times to mix well. Set the topping aside.
• While the crust is pre-baking and then resting, in another bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Gently mix in the blueberries.
• Once the crust has cooled a little, sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer, scrunching it with your fingers to make firm nuggets dropped randomly over the top.
• Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Do you like to bake/cook with your favorite summertime fruits, or just eat them by the handful?