Blueberry Lemon Crumble Bars

I know this dessert is supposed to be all about the blueberries (look at it- it’s oozing with blue), but I’ve gotta tell you- the lemon really strikes a puckering chord.

Imagine a lemony shortbread kind of cookie on the bottom of something great, and then a lemony zesty crumbly topping to crown said great something.  With blueberries thrown into the middle of it all just to add some anti-oxidizing yum, it’s a wonder why you’re still reading this and not preheating your oven to get cracking.

But really.  What are you waiting for?  Pull out that food processor!

Adapted from all recipe’s recipe…

CRUST:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons lemon zest

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup butter, chilled and cubed

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

FILLING:

2 cups fresh blueberries

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

TOPPING:

5 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1. Preheat oven to 400º.  Grease a 9 x 13? baking pan and set aside.
2. CRUST:
   1. In a food processor, combine the 2 cups flour, 2 tablespoons white sugar, lemon zest and salt.  Pulse in the 1/2 cup butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  In a small bowl, lightly beat egg with vanilla, then add to crumb mixture until a crumbly dough forms.  Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
   2. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly.
3. FILLING:  Sprinkle blueberries over the crust. Sprinkle sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg over the blueberries.
4. TOPPING:  In a food processor, cream together the 5 tablespoons butter and brown sugar until smooth.  Add in the flour and lemon zest, pulsing until the mixture is crumbly like streusel.  Sprinkle over the blueberry layer.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, until browned.  Cool and then cut into bars.

Tips:

• No food processor?  GET ONE ALREADY!  (But if you really won’t get one, just cut butter in manually for the crust.  And you can use a mixer for step 4, or even use your hand like they did in the 1920s.)
• Please use fresh nutmeg.  And if you couldn’t be bothered (because it is a drag to grate on your own, I know), use fresh stuff from the grocery store.
• Use salted butter for the topping.  Salt is so necessary in sweet stuff. 🙂
• Enjoy!

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