Episode 3: Blueberry Crumb Bars

A little treat now and then doesn't hurt.  We have been successfully eating healthier by not eating out and by not eating foods that have preservatives in them.  So far our diet consists of a lot of fruits, veggies, homemade breads, made-from-scratch meals, and a lot of water.  Believe it or not, we were able to not spend as much on this months grocery bill by buying a majority of fruits and veggies.  We also bought a lot more fresh meats products then we normally do.  The combination of grocery savings and the savings from not eating out, will help out the bank account.  For brunch today I decided to make "Blueberry Crumb Bars".  I used frozen (not fresh) blueberries for the recipe.  Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures during the process but the one picture that I have and that really counts is the final product picture!

Recipe:

Yields around 36 bars (9x13 in pan)
Dough
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold unsalted butter
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
zest of lemon

Filling
Juice of one lemon
4 cups blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix in medium bowl sugar, baking powder, and salt then add egg and butter.  Mix butter into bowl with a dough cutter.  Add lemon zest and mix.  Dough will be crumbly.

Take half of dough mixture and layer the bottom of a 9x13 greased pan.

In another medium bowl, squeeze the lemon juice over a mixture of sugar and cornstarch.  Stir.  Add blueberries and continue stirring until all the blueberries are covered in the sugary liquid.

Pour the blueberry mixture in the pan and spread evenly.  Take second half of dough mixture and spread out evenly on top of blueberries.

Place pan in oven and cook for 45 minutes or until top is slightly brown.  Let cool completely before cutting.

Mahalo!