Blueberry Pie Bars

Blueberry Pie Bars

I’ve made my share of pie “cookies” – apple and cherry – so when I saw a recipe on Pinterest for Blueberry Pie Bars, I thought why not? (One of these days, I’ll get around to making an actual, regular ol’ pie. :-P)

These bars ooze blueberry flavor. The blueberry yogurt I used added an extra berry kick. The bars also hold their form well, thanks to the packed crumble crust.

Blueberry Pie Bars

The Makings:

Blueberry Pie Bars

For crust and crumble to use as topping:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

For filling:

  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (I used a blueberry flavored yogurt)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

For blueberry layer:

  • 1 12 oz  package/2 cups blueberries
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar (use 1/2 cup if you have tart berries)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

The Sweetness:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and then coat foil with baking spray. You’ll be able to pop out the bars in a snap this way.

Blueberry Pie Bars  Blueberry Pie Bars

2. To create crust and crumble, first melt butter and pour into a large bowl. Whisk in both sugars followed by the flour. Reserve 3/4 cup for crumble topping and use remainder to line the bottom of the pan. Mixture will be sandy. Use fingers or spatula to pack down the crust into a tightly pressed, even layer.

3. In another bowl, mix filling by stirring together egg, Greek yogurt, sugar and vanilla. Next, whisk in flour. Pour filling atop crust and distribute and smooth out mixture evenly using a spatula.

Blueberry Pie Bars

4. In a third bowl, toss together blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch. Pour blueberries into filling. Use spatula to spread out berries evenly.

Blueberry Pie Bars

5. Take crumble that was set aside and sprinkle clumps of it out atop blueberries and filling.

Blueberry Pie Bars

6. Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until filling is bubbling at edges and in center, and the crumble topping is golden. Allow time to cool for at least a couple hours. Carefully remove bars from pan using aluminum foil and slice them to desired size. Serve warm or cold. (I preferred mine after they’d sat in the fridge for a bit first.)

Blueberry Pie Bars

Blueberry Pie Bars

This recipe was first found on Averie Cooks.

More Sweetness:

Cherry Pie Cookies  Lemon Strawberry Cookies  Apple Pie Cookies

Red, White & Blue Rice Krispies Treats

 

Patriotic Krispies

Happy 4th of July weekend, everyone! :) I spent the long weekend visiting my alma mater in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Go Blue!) I waited in line at Zingerman’s for sandwiches, sampled a beer flight at Ashley’s, watched some of the World Cup at Conor O’Neils and listened to live music at Summer Fest. I did not see any major fireworks, but managed to catch a few impromptu displays, and definitely spotted some folks sporting over-the-top patriotic outfits.

I made the above Red, White & Blue Rice Krispies Treats for a World Cup game watch party a few weekends ago. They just scream ‘merica, no? Back then, the U.S. was still in the mix! Sadly, they’ve since been eliminated, but Tim Howard did his team proud!

To make the treats, I followed this Kraft recipe, dividing the cereal, marshmallows and butter into three portions, to make the red, white and blue layers. I prepared a single color batch at a time, mixing in food coloring for the red and blue layers. (Tip: Be sure to mix in food coloring right after you’ve added the melted marshmallows, and THEN add in the cereal. Do this fast, as the marshmallow mix will start to harden if left to sit too long.)

While prepped in a dish (using LOTS of nonstick cooking spray,) I used my circle cookie cutter to cut out individual treats, and added fresh berries and light whipped cream atop the treats in a made-to-order fashion. The whipped cream actually melted into the treats, making them SUPER sticky sweet to eat.

How did you celebrate this weekend? Did you watch any of the World Cup games?

Patriotic KrispiesPatriotic KrispiesPatriotic Krispies

More Sweetness:
Cherry Pie Cookies  Lemon Strawberry Cookies  Watermelon Cookie Slices

 

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