We’re all friends here, right?
I can tell you things.
I can tell you things like… how I put sour cream on just about everything that I ate yesterday.
Sour cream on my granola. Sour cream on eggs. Sour cream on kale. Sour cream in my dessert. Sour cream… everywhere.
I feel a little guilty.. but certainly not guilty enough to stop.
I also feel a little guilty about how I’m equally obsessed with watching The Real Housewives of New York City and wearing chipped gunmetal silver nail polish on my nails. Both are tacky as all heck… still though… I’m all up on it.
Today… berry cobbler bars. Because it’s just about summer and you should. They have sour cream in them. Of course they do. Welcome to my obsession.
These pie bars are my favorite way to make a summer pie, without actually having to make a pie. I’m a huge fan of a good, old press in shortbread crust. So buttery and crisp. The filling is creamy and berry studded with an alluring tang from the sour cream.
Feel free to use fresh berries, or frozen berries, or a combination of fresh and frozen. I love the combination of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. I would stay away from strawberries for this recipe. They hold lots of water that might interfere with the sour cream filling.
Berry Cobbler Pie Bars
adapted from The Pastry Queen
makes one half sheet pan of bars
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
Berry 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 mixd berries, defrosted and drained
(You can also use 6 cups of fresh berries, or 1 (16-ounce) package frozen berries and 3 cups of fresh berries)
To make the crust and topping-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a half sheet baking pan (12×17-inch) with butter or cooking spray and set aside. If you use a 9×13-inch baking pan you’ll have thicker bars. 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 berries. Spoon the mixture evenly over the crust. You may have to distribute the berries 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!
[…] belatedly, but well worth the wait, are what I now call Engagement Pie Bars. Find the recipe here on Joy’s blog. I wish I could share just how scrumptious these bars look but, as life tends […]