Blueberry Crumb Bars

I tried this new recipe and took it to the hospital for my last day at my most recent clinical rotation. There were compliments and requests for the recipe..... definitely worthy of sharing! Delicious!


BLUEBERRY CRUMB BARS
recipe found at Pink Parsley

Blueberry Filling:
3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Crumble and Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened and cut into 7-9 pieces (1 1/2 sticks)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the filling, combine the berries, lemon zest and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the berries are soft and tender, 8-10 minutes. Add the sugar and cornstarch to the berries, and bring to a boil. Cook an additional 1-2 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.

Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish, set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all the crumble and crust ingredients. Blend with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 1/2 cups for the topping; then press the rest of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

Pour the berry filling over the crust, and use a spatula to spread the mixture over the entire surface.

Use your fingers to squeeze together clumps of the remaining crumble topping, and sprinkle evenly over the berry filling.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden-brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely before slicing and serving.