Blueberry Cobbler Bars

Ahh, blueberry season, I love you so! Blueberry muffins, blueberry pie, blueberries eaten straight out of the carton. Blueberries, you may just be my favorite berry.



And so it is no wonder that my life got that much better when I found this recipe for blueberry cobbler bars on the Joy The Baker website. She credits the recipe to The Pastry Queen, and whomever the Pastry Queen is, I want to come live in her castle, or at least work in her kitchen, because these were...oh, my my. First of all, they include a shortbread-type crust that is made with lemon sugar. Lemon sugar! Which is made by rubbing the zest of two lemons into a lot of sugar. Among other benefits, it makes your hands smell really, really good.



Now brace yourself, because the crust is made with three, count 'em, three sticks of butter. At this point, it is best just to throw caution to the wind, promise yourself you aren't going to eat the whole thing yourself, and hang on the for the ride.



That buttery, lemon-sugary crust bakes up into this...



..and then you start the truly mind-blowing part, which is the blueberry cobbler topping. Eggs, more sugar, sour cream, a little flour, some salt, and a whole lot of blueberries. Mix it all up and try not to start licking the bowl while it is still full.



Pour it over the lemon crust...



...and wait, you're not done. You've saved a little of the crust batter, and at this point you drop it in little chunks on the top of the berry mixture. (You can see where this is going, right?)



Bake. Dance around the kitchen. Cool.



Warm, chewy, lemony, sugary, blueberry heaven. I've found my thrill...

Blueberry Cobbler Bars, from Joy the Baker

Crust and Topping

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes

zest of two lemons

Berry Filling

4 large eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

pinch of salt

2 (16-ounce) packages frozen mixd berries, defrosted and drained

(You can also use 6 cups of fresh berries, or 1 (16-ounce) package frozen berries and 3 cups of fresh berries)

To make the crust and topping-

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a half sheet baking pan (12×17-inch) with butter or cooking spray and set aside. If you use a 9×13-inch baking pan you’ll have thicker bars. Zest two lemons. Measure out the sugar onto a clean work surface. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with a bench scraper or the back of a spoon. Rubbing the zest into the sugar will release oils from the zest and create a lemon scented sugar.

Combine lemon sugar, flour, salt and butter in an electric mixer fit with a paddle attachment. Beat the ingredients on medium speed until the mixture looks dry and crumbly.

Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the crust mixture to use as the topping. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust for 12 to 15 minutes until it is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes while you make the filling.

To make the filling-

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the sugar, sour cream, flour and salt. Gently fold in the berries. Spoon the mixture evenly over the crust. You may have to distribute the berries evenly around.

Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly over the filling. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Cool for 1 hour before slicing.

Click here for printable recipe