When I planned the menu for James’s birthday party, these bars were something of an afterthought. I suspected they would be good but oh.my.gosh, people, these were definitely the highlight of the spread. The buttery, crumbly crust with a hint of lemon and the amazing blackberry filling are an irresistible combination. These bake up very thick, so you can cut them on the small side. The recipe doubles easily in a 9 x 13-inch pan to feed a larger crowd. This recipe will undoubtedly become a total staple for bringing to spring and summer parties, potlucks, and more. I’m looking forward to trying it with other fruits as well.
I love the burst of berries and all the delicious crust surrounding them, but I really love how easy it is to make
Related Recipe → Cherry Bar Dessert
Blackberry Pie Bars
Yield: 12 Pie Bars
Ingredients:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Zest and juice of one lemon, divided
- 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch slices
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups fresh blackberries
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
- In a food processor, pulse together flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon zest. Add the butter, egg and vanilla extra. Pulsing until dough is crumbly. Pat half of dough into the bottom of the prepared pan, saving the remaining dough for the topping.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blackberries. Sprinkle the blackberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown (you are only looking for the top to slightly brown, if you cook for too long – the bottom will burn).
- Cool completely before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container.
