I was planning the desserts for my daughter’s birthday party and was realizing that I had a lot of chocolate desserts…which do not misunderstand me….that is not really a “problem” per say…but….I thought I needed something a little different. I was thinking fruit….and spring. Something that reminded me that nicer weather was coming…and as I glance out the window and see the snow falling…I am hoping it comes soon! Blueberries came to mind. Fresh picked, sweet, plump and juicy blueberries. Yum! I decided on blueberry pie crumble bars and I and all my guests were pleased that I did. They were delicious. The blueberries were sweet and juicy and the “crumble” part of the bar was absolutely delcious. Buttery, crunchy and a perfect complement to the fruit. Try them out. You will not be disappointed. Hopefully every time one of us makes them, it will bring us closer and closer to spring…or even summer for that matter!
- 2 cups oats (regular, not quick oats)
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2½ cups fresh or frozen mixed berries or one type of berries
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tblsp water
- 2 tblsp cornstarch
- 3 tsp lemon juice
- Heat oven to 350 and spray a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray.
- Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt.
- Pour in melted butter and stir until well mixed.
- If there is still a lot of dry ingredients, melt 1 more tblsp of butter and mix in.
- Reserve 1 cup of crumb mixture.
- Press rest of the mixture into pan with fingertips and bake for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put blueberries, 2 tblsp of water and sugar in a saucepan and heat over low heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally until boiling.
- Cook for two minutes while boiling.
- Mix remaining tblsp of water, lemon juice and cornstarch in a small bowl.
- Stir into blueberry mixture and cook for one minute or until thickened.
- Remove from heat and let sit for 1 minute.
- Pour blueberry mixture over partially baked crust, spreading well ¼ inch from edge.
- Pour reserved crumb mixture over top, pressing down lightly.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Cool completely.
- Cut into squares and store in a tighly sealed container.
*Note: You can eliminate 1/2 cup of oats and substitute 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts to give the bars and even heartier crunch.
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