Blueberry Lemon Bars Recipe 465

LEMON-BLUEBERRY BARS

Steps:

• For the blueberry crust: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9x12-inch baking dish.
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, blueberry powder, lemon zest, salt and cold butter cubes. Pulse several times until a ball starts to form. Place the dough in the buttered dish and press down firmly to form and even bottom crust. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly. Set aside.
• For the lemon filling: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add to the eggs. Mix well. Pour the lemon filling over the crust. Scatter the fresh blueberries over the filling. Return to the oven and bake until the filling is set when the pan is jiggled, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into squares.
• Dust with confectioners' sugar. The bars will keep for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Try freezing the bars with wooden popsicle sticks inserted in them for a cooling summertime treat!

BLUEBERRY-LEMON CRUMB BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
• Start by making the crust. In a medium bowl, stir together the 2 cups flour, 2 tablespoons white sugar, lemon zest and salt. Cut in the 1/2 cup butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg and vanilla together; stir into the crumb mixture until a dough forms. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly.
• Sprinkle blueberries over the crust. Combine the 1/4 cup sugar and nutmeg; sprinkle over the blueberries. Make the topping: In a medium bowl, cream together the 5 tablespoons butter and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in the flour, so that the mixture is crumbly like streusel. Sprinkle over the blueberry layer.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until browned. Cool and then dust with confectioners' sugar before cutting into bars.

LEMON-BLUEBERRY BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees and line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper so it hangs over the edges on all sides by a few inches. (You may need to use two pieces of parchment.)
• Make the crust: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse to combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, lemon zest and salt. Add butter and pulse until a crumbly dough forms, about 10 seconds. (Or mix dry ingredients in a bowl and use pastry cutter to cut in butter, clumping the mixture together in your hands until it holds together.) Press dough into prepared pan. Bake until light golden, 25 to 35 minutes.
• As crust bakes, make the curd: In a medium pot, whisk together the granulated sugar, lemon juice, egg yolks, whole eggs, cornstarch and fine sea salt until well combined. Place over medium heat and stir with a heatproof rubber spatula (or wooden spoon), making sure to scrape around the sides and edges of the pot, until mixture is simmering and thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Bring mixture to a boil and let cook for about 30 seconds, but no longer than 1 minute. Immediately strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in butter, lemon zest and lime zest, and stir until butter melts. Stir in blueberries.
• Pour mixture over crust, then stir to evenly distribute berries. Return to oven, and bake until blueberries begin to burst and curd starts to turn golden around the edges, 33 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Chill in the refrigerator until thoroughly cold before cutting, at least 3 hours. Dust lightly with confectioners' sugar right before serving.

BLUEBERRY LEMON BARS WITH MERINGUE TOPPING

Steps:

• Combine flour, almond flour, and salt for crust in a bowl.
• Combine sugar, butter, shortening, and almond extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until light and somewhat fluffy. Add dry ingredients on low speed until just mixed, about 1 minute; do not overmix.
• Drop dough into a 9x13-inch glass baking dish and flatten with floured hands, building up a 1/2-inch edge on the sides so the filling doesn't stick to the dish. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Remove crust from the refrigerator and bake on the center rack of the preheated oven until golden at the edges and pale golden in the center, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit on a wire rack until completely cool, about 30 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• While the crust is cooling, combine sugar, flour, lemon juice, honey, 6 egg yolks, 4 egg whites, lemon zest, and baking soda for filling in a bowl. Whisk briefly to combine, but don't overmix because we don't want to over-aerate the filling. Set aside 2 remaining egg whites for the meringue topping.
• Spread blueberries over the cooled crust, then pour filling over top.
• Bake in the 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) oven, checking frequently, until filling is set, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven, turn oven off, and let cool to room temperature on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.
• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler to high, or 525 degrees F (274 degrees C).
• Combine 2 reserved egg whites from the filling with 2 egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt for meringue in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Whisk frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until sugar has dissolved and mixture is hot, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove egg white mixture from the heat and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high and beat until meringue holds stiff, but spreadable, peaks. Spread and swirl meringue on top of the cooled blueberry bars.
• Set the lemon bars under the preheated broiler until meringue is evenly toasted and golden brown, about 30 to 60 seconds; do not walk away.
• Cut into 24 squares or triangles and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours.

BLUEBERRY-LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F Spray a 13 x 9 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment or foil leaving a 3 inch overhang on each short end of the pan, and spray the lining with more cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl combine flour, confectioners' sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt. Cut 10 tbls butter into small pieces and cut into the flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Pour mixture into the prepared pan and pat lightly to create an even layer. Bake until crust is light golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven and reduce heat to 350°F.
• While the crust bakes place granulated sugar and lemon zest into a medium saucepan and rub zest into the sugar with a spoon until sugar is moistened.
• Add the lemon juice, eggs and yolks, remaining 2 tbls butter, and 1/4 tsp salt and place the pan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and registers 155F to 160F on a thermometer.
• Off heat stir in the vanilla and cream. Pour the mixture through a mesh strainer set over a medium bowl. Discard remaining solids and immediately scrape the lemon mixture onto the warm crust, spreading evenly.
• Bake the bars until the very center of the filling barely jiggles when you shake the pan, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven.
• While the lemon bars bake heat the jelly in a small saucepan set over medium heat until it is warm and fluid. Off heat add the berries and gently fold until coated and shiny.
• Spoon the berry mixture over the lemon bars and transfer the dish to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Serve once the bars are cooled, or cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bars can be made 2 days in advance.