Just Baking

In the Pacific Northwest we have all the same months that you folks in the rest of the world have, right up to May. The month that follows May here in the PNW is more commonly known as June-uary. As I sit writing this, the rain is slanting down from dusty gray clouds and dimpling the surface of the water in my winter pond. My winter pond, which is supposed to have water in it only in the winter, and yet here it is a quarter of the way full. And did I mention it’s 47 degrees outside? On the plus side, this means I can do some baking and not have to worry that it’s going to get unbearably hot in my kitchen.

The June/July issue of Fine Cooking magazine has a great feature on blueberry desserts, and I think Blueberry Streusel Bars with Lemon-Cream Filling will be just the nudge my imagination will need to trick me into thinking it’s summer. These bars have a slightly tart, silky lemon filling spread over tender blueberries, sandwiched between a thick buttery crust and an oaty crumb topping. Although they take a little time, the process isn’t hard at all.

I’m always a little wary of recipes that instruct me to spread something over a crust or base the way this one does; I so often find that there’s not quite enough of the filling to cover the bottom properly. Be assured that this is not the case with these bars. I also hesitate when I see an instruction along the lines of “spread gently . . . but take care not to crush the berries.” Somehow this is always the first thing I manage to do. With this recipe, however, because there’s enough of the cream to cover the crust generously, there was no danger of my crushing the berries. I like it when things just work like that.

Now, to pretend it’s sunny and 75 degrees outside!

Blueberry Streusel Bars with Lemon-Cream Filling

from Fine Cooking magazine Issue #93 (June/July 2008)

• 8 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened; more for the pan
• 13 1/2 ounces (3 cups) all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats)
• 1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 large egg, separated
• 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 2 1/2 cups room-temperature blueberries (about 13 ounces), washed and drained on paper towels

Position rack in he center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the ends. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of the foil.

In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Using your fingers, blend the butter completely into the flour mixture. Transfer 2 cups of crumb mixture to another bowl and reserve for topping. Blend the egg white into the remaining crumbs and press the mixture into the bottom of the pan to form a level crust. Tamp it with the bottom of a measuring cup to even it out. Bake the crust until it starts to form a dry top, 10 to 12 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and egg yolk. Let stand for 5 minutes; it will begin to thicken.

Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the hot crust, then drop spoonfuls of the lemon mixture over the blueberries. Spread gently with a spatula to distribute a little more evenly, but take care not to crush the berries. The lemon mixture need not be perfectly evenly spread. Bake until the lemon mixture just begins to form a shiny skin, 7 to 8 minutes.

Sprinkle the reserved topping over the lemon-blueberry layer, pressing the streusel between your fingers into small lumps as you sprinkle. Bake until the filling is bubbling at the edges and the topping is brown, 25 to 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 using the foil overhang and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove the foil and cut into 24 bars when cool. The bars may be stored at room temperature for a few hours, but should otherwise be kept in the refrigerator.

pictures by The Modern Apron