recipe: blackberry crumb bars

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Between a full plate of projects and life, my time in the kitchen has been limited (ok none existent) which is killing me smalls.

All I’ve wanted for the last several weeks, especially during the worst NYFW foot pains and most stressful of meetings, is to turn off my phone, put down the computer and channel my inner Martha. In my cooking day dream I’m in the biggest-comfiest shmata so far from fashion-anything-attire that it is exactly what street style photographers dream of, flour fills my cheeks and one of those yellow checkered towels that remind you of the 50’s is slung over my shoulder. I cook all day with only the freshest of ingredients, snack the entire time and when I snap my fingers a picturesque table is set for two and I manage to have saved room for the meal itself.

While that didn’t exactly happen, I did take a step in the right turn-your-dream-into-reality direction (only I was in trousers, catching up on SNL, laughing my ass off to Zach Galifianakis and drinking a beer) by dusting off my baking sheet to make the blackberry crumb bar recipe sent to me by the lovely Leah from freutcake.

They turned out delish! And btdubs, I’m pretty much a failure at baking/dessert anything so it’s safe to say this is fool proof and probably the dessert I’m going to make for anything I’m invited to for the rest of my life. Trying blueberries next.

How to: Blackberry Crumb Bars

You will need:
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
4 cups fresh blackberries (or blueberries)
1/2 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch


1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. (This took an extra 10 to 15 minutes in my oven.) Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Recipe and photos: freutcake

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41 comments

  1. omg those look so delicious… too bad I’m an au pair who lives in a family’s house and therefore has to just eat whatever they happen to have. :/

    –Megan//themartiantide.blogspot.com

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