I don't know what it is, but this year I have been addicted to blueberries. I can't seem to get enough.
A few months ago I saw a recipe for Blueberry Streusel Bars with Lemon-Cream Filling. After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I filed it away until I could get to it.
Let me just say, it was worth the wait. It's really a unique recipe where the blueberries sit on top of a thick crust but inside a lemon cream. The flavor is incomparable to many other blueberry bars I've had. I will definitely be making these over and over.
Let's make them together...
You will need: Unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, old-fashioned rolled oats, golden brown sugar, salt, baking powder, an egg, sweetened-condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest and blueberries.
In a large bowl, combine, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1-1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, 1-1/3 cups golden brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon baking powder.
With your fingers, blend 1 cup of butter completely into the flour mixture. Transfer 2 cups of the crumb mixture to another bowl and reserve for the topping.
Blend the egg white into the remaining crumbs.
Line a 9 x 13-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the ends. Lightly butter the sides and the bottom of the foil.
Press the egg white-crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan to form a level crust. Bake the crust in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.
While the crust is baking, in a medium bowl, whisk together a 14 oz. can of sweetened-condensed milk, 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of lemon zest and an egg yolk. Let this mixture stand for 5 minutes; it will begin to thicken.
Evenly sprinkle the blueberries over the hot crust and spoon lemon mixture over the blueberries. Spread carefully with a spatula to distribute a little more. Do not crush the berries. Bake for 8 minutes.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle reserved topping over the lemon-blueberry layer, pressing the streusel between your fingers into small lumps as you sprinkle. Bake until the edges are bubbling and the topping is brown, about 30 minutes.
Let the bars cool in the pan on a rack until just warm, about an hour. Carefully lift them out of the pan with the foil overhang and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove foil and cut in 24 bars.
This is the wall of stackable blueberry bars...ridiculous isn't it?
What else can I say?
You have to try these.
Blueberry Streusel Bars with Lemon-Cream Filling
adapted from Fine Cooking
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature; more for the pan
13-1/2 oz. (3 cups) all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats)
1-1/3 cups golden brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg, separated
14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2-1/2 cups room-temperature blueberries (14 oz.)
In a large bowl, combine, all-purpose flour, old-fashioned rolled oats, golden brown sugar, salt and baking powder.
With your fingers, blend the butter completely into the flour mixture. Transfer 2 cups of the crumb mixture to another bowl and reserve for the topping.
Blend the egg white into the remaining crumbs.
Line a 9 x 13-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the ends. Lightly butter the sides and the bottom of the foil.
Press the egg white-crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan to form a level crust. Bake the crust in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.
While the crust is baking, in a medium bowl, whisk together sweetened-condensed milk, fresh lemon juice, 2 lemon zest and egg yolk. Let this mixture stand for 5 minutes; it will begin to thicken.
Evenly sprinkle the blueberries over the hot crust and spoon lemon mixture over the blueberries. Spread carefully with a spatula to distribute a little more. Do not crush the berries. Bake for 8 minutes.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle reserved topping over the lemon-blueberry layer, pressing the streusel between your fingers into small lumps as you sprinkle. Bake until the edges are bubbling and the topping is brown, about 30 minutes.
Let the bars cool in the pan on a rack until just warm, about an hour. Carefully lift them out of the pan with the foil overhang and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Remove foil and cut into 24 bars. Store in the refrigerator and zap them in the microwave before eating.
Looks delicious I will have to make this sometime myself….I still have blueberries in my freezer!
WOW. That’s it.
OMG…don’t say anymore Cathy…this much is bad enough! Can you suggest some mildly enviable substitute for blueberries? All we’re getting here are pears & apples…*SIGH*. The stackables are ever so scrumptious! YUM!!
wow Cathy, as always YUMMY! looking. I too love blueberries.
Those look incredible. I have been on a blueberry kick myself, but I will have to change that to apples now since I have a boat load of them in my kitchen!
Just when I don’t think I will find another blueberry recipe, boom, one comes out of no where! These bars look delighful. I wish I had one now to have with my coffee. Sigh
Slurp, drool… I can’t believe you’re doing this to me! I’m cool with blueberries, but lemon-cream… moan.
Do you still have some of that $7 milk? ‘Cause I’m coming over, and I need milk with that.
Hey Cathy, if you know your movies, hop on over to my post for today! have a great day!
Oh Yum- This I have to make! Thank you…
These look and sound delicious! I am a blueberry fan, too. And, I love just about any dessert with oats. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Those look fabulous! I’m going to have to try this recipe very soon. In fact, I’m going to have to set aside a day each week just to try new recipes I find here and on Pioneer Woman. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do!
Those look delicious! I’ll have to try them. I love blueberries! And your pictures make my mouth water.
YUM! Emailing this to my mom right now.
me too, I can’t get enough of blueberries this year too. The prices are climbing up now with the end of summer in US, so I gotta go stock up some to freeze hehe … the blueberry bars look amazing!
As if i`m not already fat enough, you had to go and do this………will get right on this one!
Oh yum! These look fantastic – and great directions and photos too. Thanks!
Yum! I must try these soon. What a combo!!!
Uhhh…YUM. I have a ton of blueberries in my freezer and I think I just might make this with them!
Oh wow–never too many blueberry recipes! This one sounds great–I love the idea of the blueberries and the lemon!
I must pick my jaw off the ground too. These look FANTASTIC. I love lemon and blueberry together. The crumbly topping just puts it over the top. Beautiful.
I now have proof. You are evil. As soon as I get over the Ding Dongs, I will be stuffing this into my face. Thanks for sharing! And the clothes store thanks you as well as I’ll be moving up a size.
Blueberries AND Lemon… to die for! Yum! Farmer’s Market this year has had the best looking blueberries EVAR! Alisa is right… you are evil, elastic exercise pants, here I come! Darn it!
Wowee! I can see why your jaw dropped. Did you hug your computer screen, too? These look so good, my hubby would gobble these down in minutes! Love your step by step photos, too! YUM!
Can I say…YUM! Whe are you sending me some? I definitely must make this recipe sometime soon. This was wonderful…now, I am starving.
Blueberries are my favorite hands down!
Cathy,
My jaw dropped to the floor too, when I saw this photographs!
Woman! Now MY jaw is in the floor! I think I’m in love!
Me.
Those blueberry things.
Milk.
Alone.
OMG! My mouth is watering! Blueberries melting! those look amazing!
I couldn’t stopped ooooo-ing and ahhhh-ing while reading this recipe. I’m logging this one down as a must cook immediately dish! Thanks!
Oh My….. As soon as I’ve lost another 25 pounds, and I’m having those for breakfast !!!! Slurp, drool…
YUM! That’s all I can say…
this looks way too good. I’m with Loving Annie, as soon as the diet is over….
if you freeze the blueberries beforehand and keep them frozen until the last possible minute, that purplish, bluish bleeding of the blueberries will not happen, they will just be perky and beautiful
Perfect! I have a real soft spot for anything blueberry w/ crumb topping!
BLUEBERRIES! Butter! DROOL!
I wish these beauties didn’t cost an arm and a leg here. These bars look so good, Cathy!
These look fabulous–loads of streusel, which I love. I like the egg white also to help bind the bottom–I hate it when that layer falls apart.
When Ike hit Ohio and we lost power I spent the majority of the 22 hours freaking out about my blueberries that I had frozen from this summer.
You now have me crying that I didn’t freeze some of the wonderful blueberries I was finding at the farmers market. I talked to her yesterday…she said they will be back in July. JULY! Sigh…but I will file this away to make then.
Oh. My. God. Is this what they serve in heaven?
This is like my dream dessert. droooool
After this weekend, I’m pretty sugared out. But I could pick up a fork for this. If I had to, you know.
Come to my blog! You won an award!
I love it–these sound awesome. Why can’t blueberries grow year-round? :-/
I was recently looking for a good dessert recipe with blueberries. I’ve got a lot to use up! Looks like I found it. Thanks!
I have been on a major blueberry kick lately as well! This is perfect!
Gorgeous. I know just how you feel about the blueberry addiction. I’ve been feeling it myself this summer. I love this combination.
I hate when you post stuff like this. I am going to have to slave over a hot stove now just because of this. Dang. Looks divine!!
I hate it when you post a recipe like this. Now I will have to slave over a hot stove. Dang. Looks divine!
These look truly scrumptious and delicious – and as always, the photos are sooooooo good, you could eat them off the screen if allowed….
sorry havent been online and commenting…..took two weeks to replace laptop which I spilled OJ all over on… needless to say – im up and running again as of 24 hours…
Another recipe added to my growing file. They looked so good.
Ack! It looks so good, I can’t even look at it! I’m shielding my eyes now. I can’t make this. No. No. No. I can’t. Don’t make me! I will not spend $4.00/half pint of blueberries to make this. I. Will. Not.
Oh, WTF! I’ll see you later. I’ve got to go to the store now.
Wow that looks good! Can’t wait to try! love blueberries & lemon together! not enough exclamation points in the world for this one!
I love the way your photos with the ingredients look. It totally reminds me of home ec.
Oh, Lord. I think that if I make these, my husband will fall in love with me all over again.
Ok. Wish me luck!
The last 3 photos are too funny, it is like they are taking over the world and multiplying. For my first Daring Bakers challenge I made the danish with blueberries and lemon cream so I know these are luscious. The 2 flavors work so well together. The frozen lemon mousse was actually for a family birthday party for 36 people in Napa and it was wonderful. I had been testing it beforehand and was gone for 5 days working on the party.
I’ve got to make these. And also, I love how you photograph your ingredients. Why does that make it so much more enticing?? I’m not sure but I need to do it, too! There’s something so exciting about the potential of all those separate ingredients.
These look delicious. Right up my alley. Starred!
These are beautiful! I love your pictures!!
Wow. That sounds perfect.
Those look amazing. I fell in love with blueberries while camping in Maine. Are there blueberries in Oregon? I know you’ll have lots of blackberries there. Maybe blueberries, too?
Gotta try this one soon.
All of a sudden I am instantly addicted to blueberries. I just wish I could cook decently.
Your recipes and pictures are enough to make me… ummm… well… pay someone to cook for me, lol.
Aaaaahhhhhh! That’s more like it. I popped on earlier for a quick peek as I try to ease back into the blogging scene after several days away — a BIG chore, by the way — and saw the horse pucky post. YUCK!!! I was so astonished (and exhausted from doing mountains of laundry that no one could tackle while I was away) that I just ran away in disgust (not at you, dear friend, but at those horse-manure-neglecting ones).
Now that my evening has become my own (sort of … ) I popped back on to see what you had for me today. OH JOY! FOOD! GLORIOUS FOOD! And blue berries, no less! I dance, I sing, I send yet another recipe to the printer. As I am smiling and dancing around I realize I went to the market today to replenish the larder and passed up the blueberries as a bit too pricey for this week. UGH!!! So … should I file the recipe for later or run out to the store first thing tomorrow? Hmmmmm …
; )
You and me both, share a love for the blueberries!
Oh my stars woman!!
I love blueberries!! I cannot wait to make this!
Nom Nom Nom!!!
This looks positively heavenly.
A berry addiction is always a healthy one
. Love the look of these bars!
The oatmeal and blueberry combo stole my heart. And the lemon cream, drool. These look perfect!
dang it, cathy! this is exactly what i don’t want to see when all i have for breakfast is cereal. thanks a lot.
oh, i can’t stay mad at you. what an incredible treat.
I made these this morning with Lexi strapped to my in the Moby wrap and at one point I’m pretty sure she was drooling for a bite…silly girl those are all for Mommy
I am not a big fan of blueberries, but then I haven’t had them much. They don’t grow here and are very expensive in the supermarkets, often close to $4 for 12 oz. This recipe looks very good and might tempt me to start liking blueberries. Ava
These look so good – We love blueberries and are always looking for new ways to incorporate these tasty gems into our diet.. This is a winner
Yum! I love blueberries, and these bars look so darn good right now. (Is there ever a time when they wouldn’t?)
oooh… ahhhh… YUM!!
I’m mourning the end of blueberry season myself. Fortunately, I’ve developed an affection for this year’s peaches, which are LOVELY.
I think you should also have a small restaurant at your vineyard so you can serve delectible delights like this! Maybe it could even be part of the Tasting Room. Just a thought. You are such an amazing cook.
I love that bars are showing up everywhere. That bottom crust cath is to die for. gorgeous.
I wish I could jump through the screen and eat the whole pan of these they look so good.
I AM MAKING THOSE SOOO SOON! My mouth is watering. Literally. YUM!
I’m fairly certain that these bars will make my life complete, and for that, I salute you.
I have a new addiction… Please feed me!
Cathy darling…
I just got done surfing all your recipes and I need a good brownie recipe!
Do you have one tucked away somewhere?
My husband hates boxed brownie mix! Well, we all do. They are only good the first day… we need a rip roaring family pleasure.
Help!
NP, those look absolutely delightful. I have pounds of blueberries in my freezer (I hoarded them when they were on sale this summer)… I can’t wait to try this out!
That looks seriously good! Seriously. Yum!
If only my kitchen was as orderly as yours.. I might actually be able to.. see the floor or something. Looks delicious.. Not too late for blueberries for sure.
Fantastic! Those bars look terribly good! Thanks for sharing!
cheers,
Rosa
Man I knew I was missing out…when I got behind on my blog reading (especially yours) but…wow..I guess I didn’t realize the extent of it..Thank goodness you are here! Great recipe…can’t wait to try it. And I shall never fall behind again!!!
I am betting these will work just fine and dandy with the frozen berries I have from my mother in law’s bushes this summer. Mmmmmmmmmm!
I am cooking solo these few nights – with one or two friends dropping in. But I am really thinking about making this and just eat it all myself!!!
After the horse poo post I was steering clear here for a bit…and then you posted this. So right on. And that pic of the berries with the dough (prior to baking)..nailed it.
Cathy-these look so good and I am always up for blueberry anything. But I will have to take a second job to buy these at the price they are going for! As always tempting food.
oh, wow!
THose look so good! I really like that layer of cream in them.
OH MY GOD. Who do I need to sleep with to get some of that.
Good Lord Woman….i was looking for a site to curb my appetite for blueberries and now look what you have done …… can’t fight the addiction now .. yummmmmmm
I had a pint of blueberries, sorted through a ton of recipes, and picked this one to try. I tastes very good. I had to substitute key limes for the lemon, and next time, if I choose to use key limes again, I will use less zest. I might also try to somehow increase the amount of lemon (lime) mix, it seemed pretty scant compared to the crust. I would also use more than the pint of blueberries I had. I didn’t measure them, but I think it was less than the 2 1/2 C. called for. It is already good, considering I tweaked the recipe to use limes and probably less blueberries. The recipe the way it is supposed to be is probably perfect (except for maybe a bit more of the lemon stuff.