Blackberry pie bars are a simplified way to get that first taste of summer!
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Once the weather starts warming up, I am ready to kick into spring mode. My soul calls it quits with winter and wants to move into the 80 degree spring, not the “starts cold but gets warm in the afternoons” deal we get for the first bit of spring Every year in college it surprised me that North Carolina didn’t warm up enough to swim in the ocean during spring break.
To curb my disappointment, I try to find other ways to embrace spring before the weather fully commits. Eating the classic warm weather foods is one sure-fire way to do that, but the problem is that some of the berries and fruits I love aren’t yet in season.
Solution: an addictive dessert that tastes like the essence of spring and involves frozen fruit.
Blackberry pie bars? Yes please.
So if you’re in need of a kick of summer but the weather isn’t quite there yet, making blackberry pie bars offers an easy solution.
I found the recipe here, with my own touches of course.
Combine flour, sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Once the mixture is combined, add the butter cut into 1 tbsp chunks.
Mix together in a food processor or blender. It helps to add the butter in 2-3 batches.
The final result looks like sand.
Set aside 3/4 cups in the fridge, then pour the rest into a dish lined with aluminum foil. Don’t forget to spray the aluminum foil with cooking spray first! Press the mixture down until it’s flattened throughout. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until it just starts to color (but not much!).
While that’s baking, whisk together eggs, sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla, and flour.
Once thoroughly combined, mix in the blackberries.
Once the bottom crust has cooled, pour the entire bowl in. Generously sprinkle the leftover crust powder on top.
Bake for 45-55 minutes until you get this beautiful baby! Place on a wire rack to cool and chill in the fridge for a bit, then slice and serve.
The result: instant summertime. Sweet with a tiny bit of lemony tang and a rich buttery crust.
Blackberry Pie Bars
Ingredients:
CRUST:
- 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 12 tbsp cold unsalted butter
FILLING:
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream (not low-fat)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 16 oz. frozen blackberries
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9, 10×10, or 9×12 baking dish with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
- In a stand mixer or food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt and lemon juice. Once combined, slice the cold butter in 1 tbsp chunks and add, a few at a time. When everything is in there, it should have a sandy consistency.
- Remove 3/4 cup of the crust mixture and put the fridge. Pour the rest into the baking dish. Evenly spread and press over the foil.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until just combined. Remove and allow to cool fully before adding anything else.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, sour cream, flour, salt, and lemon juice. Once well combined, add in frozen blackberries.
- Once the crust has cooled, pour the filling directly on top of it. Once you’re happy with the distribution of blackberries, sprinkle the remaining crust over the pan.
- Bake for 45-55, until the filling has just set. Remove and cool completely (for best results, chill in the fridge for a bit), then slice and serve.
For best results, make it the day you serve it and keep any leftovers in the fridge. They get pretty gooey the next day.
