Verdict - Blackberry Pie Bars

Blackberry Pie Bars

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack! After some much needed R&R, Lauren and I made the winner from the last poll - blackberry pie bars!

Making these felt like an episode of I Love Lucy... My grandmother was the one who taught me most of my culinary skills, and I remember her always telling me to make sure I had all of my ingredients before I started... What's the fun in that!? After an emergency run to the store for more blackberries and sour cream, we were ready to rock!

Just in case you're one of those people who like to be prepared, here's what you'll need:

For the Crust and Topping:
Zest of 2 lemons
1½ cups granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

For the Blackberry Filling:
4 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
¾ cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
6 cups fresh blackberries (I think 3-4 cups would be fine)

I usually save the tips until the end, but I'm going to save you the trouble now... Make a half batch - seriously. This recipe makes A LOT of bars, and though it may not seem like enough, trust me - a half batch'll do. 

Also, unless you are using very small blackberries, use a different berry. Raspberries would be the right size... Next time, I will use blueberries. Blueberries would be perfect. 

A couple of the problems I encountered with this recipe were:

• The blackberries I used were enormous - smaller berries are a must with this recipe
• I used too many blackberries. The recipe calls for 6 cups of blackberries, but because of the size of the ones I used, 6 cups turned out to be wayyyyyy too much. I would recommend making the filling and pouring it over the shortbread crust. At that point, I would pour the berries on top of the filling and let them settle/sink in, then bake.

OK, let's bake, shall we? First, make the shortbread crust by combining the sugar and the lemon zest. Using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until all of the sugar has been moistened. Then add the flour and salt, and mix well. Add the chilled, cubed butter and mix until combined, forming pea sized balls.

Reserve about 1 1/2 cups of the shortbread mixture in another bowl and put it in the fridge. Press the other half into the bottom of a greased 13x9 pan and put into a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. While that's baking, make the filling by whisking the eggs in a bowl, then add the sugar, sour cream, flour, and salt and mix well. You can add the berries at this point, or you can do what I suggested above and add them after pouring the filling over the crust. Just make sure you have a single layer of berries - you don't want them to overlap.

Crumble the remaining shortbread mixture over the top and bake for an additional 45 - 55 minutes. I baked mine for 45, but it could have used the extra 10 because mine never fully set. After you remove from the oven, let the bars cool for a couple of hours - overnight is best - before cutting. The filling needs to set before cutting so you don't end up with blackberry goo.

These bars are really yummy - I got to at least try a couple of bites of the edges! Looking forward to making them again. Please let me know if you make a batch - would love to know how they turn out for ya!

Enjoy~

C