Blackberry Pie Bars

Today: Blackberry Pie Bars

I still remember the first time I ever tasted blackberries.

I was at my grandma's house for Thanksgiving.  This was unusual, because we typically spend Thanksgiving with my dad's side of the family, not my mom's.  My mom's side of the family lives on the Mohican reservation in Wisconsin, so it's a bit of a trek to go visit, though well worth it.

My mom likes to say that the baking gene must skip a generation.  She never baked a ton while I was a child, though we were never short on cookies around Christmas-time.  My grandma, on the other hand, is an avid baker - and a fantastic one.  That Thanksgiving, we showed up to a house filled with pies. 11, to be exact, in a variety of flavors.  See, Thanksgiving falls right within hunting season, so all the hunters in our family, as well as all of their friends, would just be dropping by during the day when they had a chance.  And there is no way that she was going to be caught without plenty of pie for every one of them.

That day, I had my first slice of blackberry pie.  Sweet, slightly tart blackberries mixed with warm, flaky crust.  It was pure heaven.

These blackberry pies bars are a fresh take on that classic blackberry pie taste.  It's best served warm and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  The lemon zest added to the crust gives it a great, lemony aftertaste, which really compliments the sweet blackberry flavor. You can trade out the blackberries for whatever berries you prefer, or have lying around.  Of course, blackberries have a special place in my heart, so I think they're best.

On a quick sidenote, this recipe comes from Joy the Baker.  If you enjoy baking, look at her website.  Everything I've made from there is fabulous.

When you're ready for all the glory of a fresh baked pie without the hassle of putting together a pie dough, 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 1 1/2 cups sugar and put into a medium-sized bowl.  Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with the back of a spoon.  Rubbing the zest into the sugar will release oils from the zest and create a lemon scented sugar.  Continue until thoroughly combined.

Combine lemon sugar, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) chilled, cubed 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.

While the crust is cooling, start making the filling. Whisk 4 large eggs in a large bowl.  Add 2 cups sugar, 1 cup sour cream, 3/4 cups all-purpose flour and a pinch of salt.  Gently fold in 6 cups frozen or fresh blackberries (two 16-ounce bags of frozen blackberries).

Oh my goodness. Makes me hungry just looking at them.

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.

Yummy filling!

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.

Before baking...

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the top is lightly browned.  Cool for 1 hour before slicing.

After baking! So delicious.

Blackberry Pie Bars from Joy the Baker

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!