Blueberry Crumb Bars

Ohh how I love fruit bars!  I look at it as a guilt-free way of eating pie.

You know that moment when you're pretty full, and Auntie Mae is presenting dessert- a pie oozing with blueberries and happiness, topped with a dollop of whipped cream sweetness, the sun shining in the background, birds singing songs of smiles and pie.. and you think 'oh I really shouldn't..'

But it would be a whole thing if you didn't take a slice. Auntie Mae shoves a plate at you, her fingers calloused from making the pie crust by hand, her face sunburnt from picking the blueberries just this morning, and you just have to eat it (and who are you kidding, you know you want it)

.. and it's a whole event with the plate of the pie and the fork and the sitting-down-so-you-can-eat-the-pie and the pass-the-napkins because I drooled blueberry pie on my new white pants..

Hellooo fruit bars... aka the same ingredients as pie- bars.  Just pick up a bar and keep it moving.  It's not even dessert really.  There's no fork needed.  Heck, you don't even need a plate!   Perfect for picnics and BBQ's.

These blueberry bars get gobbled up quick.  If you think you made enough, make more. Trust me.

Blueberry Crumb Bars

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes
Makes 24 good sized bars

1 1/2 cups white suger
1 tsp baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cpld unsalted butter (2 sticks) cut into pieces
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
4 cups fresh blueberries
3 tsp cornstarch
Zest and juice of one lemon

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup of the sugar, 3 cups flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add the lemon zest. Blend in the egg and butter with a fork or pastry cutter (I used a food processor) The dough will be crumbly.  
3. Pour half of the dough into the prepared pan. Pat down to make the crust for the bars.
4. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries.  Sprinkle the blueberry mixture over the crust, and crumble remaining dough over top of the blueberry layer.
5. Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes, or until top is just slightly brown.
6. Cool in pan on a wire rack.  Let cool completely before attempting to cut (the bars will fall apart if you try to cut when still warm).
7. Store in airtight container in fridge.