Summer Berry Pie Bars

So funny thing about this post–I set out to make blackberry pie bars.  That mostly happened.  Most of the berries I folded into the custardy filling were blackberries.  I lovingly stocked up last summer, when they were on sale for 88 cents a container.  I washed them, dried them, and placed them in freezer bags for safe keeping throughout the fall and winter.  And apparently, somewhere along the line, I got really busy, or ran out of freezer bags, or got really tired, or didn’t have my contacts in because I threw a whole mess of raspberries in with the blackberries.  So when I went to thaw blackberries for blackberry pie bars, I realized I’d be making mixed berry pie bars.  Frozen berries can be tough to break apart and separate, you know.  I didn’t want to thaw the berries then refreeze them.  Plus, the only thing better than one type of summer berry is two!

Summer Berry Pie Bars

slightly adapted Pink Parsley

originally from Rebecca Rather, The Pastry Queen

Ingredients:

Crust and Topping:

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-in. cubes

Filling:

4 large eggs

2 c. sugar

1 c. sour cream

3/4 c. flour

pinch salt

zest of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp. almond or vanilla extract

5 c. berries, either fresh or frozen, thawed, and thoroughly drained

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving enough overhang to lift the bars out.  Grease the parchment or foil VERY generously.

2.  To make the crust and topping, put flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse just enough to mix.  Add
butter to flour mixture and process until evenly distributed, 30-60 seconds (the mixture should resemble coarse, crumbly sand).

3.  Reserve 1 1/2 c. of the mixture to use as the topping.  Press the
remaining mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake 12-15 minutes. 
Cool, on a rack, at least 10 minutes.

4.  Meanwhile, make the filling by whisking the eggs in a large bowl.  Whisk in sugar,
sour cream, flour, salt, zest, and extract.  Gently fold
in the berries.

5.  Spoon berry mixture over the cooled crust.  Sprinkle the
remaining flour mixture evenly over the filling and bake 45-55
min.  Cool at least 1 hour before cutting into bars, or scoop out of the pan to serve cobbler-style.  Cut into approximately 18 pieces.  Store, well sealed, in the refrigerator up to 3 days.