Blackberry Pie Bars
I’ve been struggling for the past few hours with what to tell you in conjunction with these Blackberry Pie Bars.
I thought maybe we could talk about how I’m still totally dragging my feet about going to my ten year high school reunion. No… that’s been done. Boring.
Maybe we could talk about how I sat around a campfire with Andrea Zuckerman… a character from that show Beverly Hills 90210, but that was actually just a dream I had last night. Not real.
We could chat about the weather? Seen any good movies lately?
No? Ok… let’s not fight this.
Let’s get on to the bars. They’re good. Really good. Good enough to not need a silly introduction.
Think of these bars as your escape from the land of pie baking. Maybe you don’t need an escape, but let’s be honest… putting together a pie crust can be a pain in the rear sometimes. Problem solved. Just press this crust into the bottom of a pan, top it with creamy fruit filling, sprinkle it with more crust bits and you’re in business.
The result is pure summer blackberry goodness. The recipe includes directions for either frozen or fresh fruit. If you’re using frozen berries, just be sure to defrost the berries and drain the excess juices. What about raspberries or blueberries instead of blackberries? Those would probably work too! Just stay away from strawberries.
Blackberry Pie Bars with Lemon Sugar
adapted from The Pastry Queen
Crust and Topping
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
zest of two lemons
Blackberry Filling
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
2 (16-ounce) packages frozen blackberries, defrosted and drained
(You can also use 6 cups of fresh blackberries, or 1 (16-ounce) package frozen blackberries and 3 cups of fresh blackberries)
To make the crust and topping-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch backing pan with butter or cooking spray and set aside. Zest two lemons. Measure out the sugar onto a clean work surface. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with a bench scraper or the back of a spoon. Rubbing the zest into the sugar will release oils from the zest and create a lemon scented sugar.
Combine lemon sugar, flour, salt and butter in an electric mixer fit with a paddle attachment. Beat the ingredients on medium speed until the mixture looks dry and crumbly.
Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the crust mixture to use as the topping. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust for 12 to 15 minutes until it is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes while you make the filling.
To make the filling-
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the sugar, sour cream, flour and salt. Gently fold in the blackberries. Spoon the mixture evenly over the crust. You may have to distribute the blackberries evenly around.
Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly over the filling. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Cool for 1 hour before slicing.
**If you’re using frozen berries, be sure to defrost and drain the excess liquid. Place the frozen berries on a plate in the refrigerator overnight. They’re defrosted and ready for bar baking!
136 Comments Add A Comment
Just found your website and this recipe. I went to my local swapmeet (Marketplace) at the end of the day, so all of the produce was really priced low. I found blackberries for really really cheap! I was planning on making a pie, but I am going to try this recipe. Sounds delish, and with so many rave reviews, I bet it’s going to be goooood!
Our producer made some of these and bought some in to a very long rehersal. They are AMAZING!!!!!
Wow!!! Thank you for this recipe! I made them last week, and everyone who had a bite loved them! This is definately going to be a recipe that I will make again…and again and again!!
I made these with blueberries last night for a co-worker’s last day. She loved them! And they were a hit with my roommates! Thanks :)
JOY- these look incredible! Do you think it would work to substitute the regular flour with a gluten free option? Which GF flour would you recommend for this?
Thanks!
A
First, I love the blog. Second, these bars are amazing. Made them twice and each time a raving success. keep it up.
These are REALLY GOOD! And pretty! Because I was also making a chocolate dessert (101 Cookbooks’ chocolate loaf cake. . . yum), I made half of this recipe. They fit nicely in a 9 inch cake pan, and because the blackberries at the grocery store were a little iffy, I used half blackberries & half raspberries. There was barely a crumb leftover.
I plan on cooking these for The Freudig Singers of Buffalo, N.Y.’s Christmas Pie Concert (for reception)
and THEN may try the recipe as a PIE for raffle! Buffalo, NY
I am Lactose can I just leave out the Sour Cream ????
i haven’t tried this recipe without the sour cream… but i can’t imagine that you can jut leave it out. no. i don’t think that’s a good idea at all.
heeeeeck yeeees!!!! I think Im gonna try them with frozen raspberries, thawed, like you said. Do you watch Big Brother? I all of us 90210 ‘fans’ have been put to shame by the bearded guy on there. Hs very, um, how should I say it, intense admiration of Tori Spelling almost made me throw up. Blah blah. That’s a TOTAL side note, clearly.
Hey Joy! I’ve made these about a dozen times and I even asked our caterer to make them for our wedding (they were a hit!), but my problem is that they always seem to be gooier than I think they should be — much more like pie than bars… any idea what I might be doing wrong? I’ve tried a few adjustments, but just can’t quite seem to hit this one right. They still taste awesome and are just about my favorite thing in the whole wide world.