Blueberry Crumb Bars

I was digging around the freezer and found some frozen blueberries.   Lately, I have been trying some new gluten-free, egg-free and dairy-free recipes, but I wanted to make something easy, tried and true... and also DELICIOUS!  This is another classic recipe I should write down for the kiddies.  I have been making these squares for over 5 years!

Blueberry crumb bars came to mind.  I wasn't in the mood to make yummy blueberry muffins.  

I must thank Allrecipes.com for the wonderful selection of recipes.  What makes this website invaluable is the number of ratings and reviews for each recipe.  Reading the reviews from people who have made this recipe makes a world of difference for those who wonder if the recipe is good.  Looking at my binder full of printed recipes, I saw that it has been a while since I made Blueberry Crumb Bars.   I have brought these to potlucks and social gatherings with requests for this recipe.  

This recipe is very easy to put together.  I decreased the sugar and used butter instead of shortening.  The butter makes them smell scrumptious while baking!

Make the dough with a pastry blender and pat half of the crumbly flour mixture into a 9x13 greased pan.  Lightly pat the crust and smooth it evenly with the back of a tablespoon.

Next, spread the blueberry/sugar/cornstarch mixture evenly on top of the dough.  

Spoon the remaining dough evenly over the berry layer and pop in preheated oven. 

Bake in 375F oven for about 45 minutes or until top is slightly browned.  

The combination of butter, juicy blueberries and crunchy crust makes this an addictive square.  They may not look fancy but after one bite, you will want to reach for another one!

Blueberry Crumb Bars

1 cup white sugar (I used 2/3 cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup shortening (I used butter)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 pinch ground cinnamon (optional)
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar (I used 1/3 cup)
3 teaspoons cornstarch 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

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

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

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

- Adapted from Allrecipes.com: Blueberry Crumb Bars

To make them prettier, I dusted the blueberry bars with powdered/icing/confectioners' sugar.  Nessa brought these squares to her class for Snack Day with some strawberries and carrot cake.  She told me that everyone LOVED them!

Enjoy!