Blackberry Pie Bars

If you don't like overly sweet desserts but still like buttery rich flavor this recipe will hit the spot. It also uses frozen blackberries instead of fresh so it can be made year round.

Ingredients:
Crust and Topping
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled

Fruit Filling
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup flour
pinch salt
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp almond extract
2 (16-oz) packages frozen blackberries, thawed and drained

Servings: One 9x13 pan or two 8x8 pans

Instructions:
To make the crust and topping, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the inside of a 9x13 inch baking pan or two 8x8 pans with parchment paper or foil and grease (this will help with removal after).

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a mixer. Stir to mix for a minute or two. Cut the butter into 12 or so pats, and add to the flour mixture. Process until the butter is evenly distributed but the mixture is still crumbly (if it all comes together, don't panic, just a bit harder to make the crumb topping).

Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the mixture to use as the topping. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan (or pans), and bake 12-15 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes.

To make the filling, whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then add the sugar, sour cream, flour, salt, lemon zest, and almond extract. Gently fold in the berries and spoon the mixture over the crust. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining flour mixture evenly over the filling, and bake 10-15 minutes (waiting to sprinkle it on top prevents the sprinkled bits from sinking in and makes for a prettier presentation).

Cool at least 1 hour before removing foil from pan and cutting into bars, or scoop out of the pan to serve cobbler-style.

**Note: telling when this thing is done is a bit of a challenge because the inside is always going to be a bit gooey. If you jiggle the pan and the whole thing is still mobile, keep baking. If it all seems pretty set and a tooth pick comes out mostly sort of clean your pretty much done. After making 4 of these I found there is a lot of wiggle room so don't panic. Bake the heck out of it and it firms up more, under bake it a bit and it is less bar like more cobbler like.

Nutritional Information:

Recipe From: http://www.pink-parsley.com/2011/05/ppq-blackberry-pie-bars.html

I thought this recipe comes out too buttery and didn't have enough blackberries. Come to find out later, my frozen blackberries come in 12 oz bags, not 16. So that might explain my lack of berries. But the butteryness is still a bit much for me, but everyone else raved about them. Over the moon raved about them, one person said that it may be the best dessert she has ever had.

I think in the future I might try a sugar cookie crust on the bottom instead of the uber buttery bottom that I think makes this dessert a bit much. But then again, these guys have grown on me as I ate some, froze some etc. Either way, raved over by most, liked by all. A nice quick summer treat and no loss for using frozen berries for once either!