Blueberry Crumb Bars

My favorite fruit has to be blueberries. And when I can't get them fresh, I'm perfectly happy buying them frozen...and having a big ol' cup of them in my cereal almost every weekday morning.

Last week, I had an intense desire to bake (which, if you know me, is rare), and a ton of leftover frozen blueberries to use...and thus, these bars were born.

The garam masala isn't 100% necessary, but it does make an incredibly delicious difference in these bars. This dessert (or snack!) is not overly sweet, but is bursting with juicy blueberries complemented by the flavorful garam masala and the tangy lemon juice. 

Blueberry Crumb Bars
Yields: 9 bars
Adapted from Damn Delicious
-3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided, plus extra for sprinkling
-2 teaspoons cornstarch
-1 tablespoon lemon juice
-2 cups frozen (or fresh) blueberries
-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
-1/4 teaspoon garam masala
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 large egg yolk
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1 stick unsalted cold butter, cut into cubes

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat an 8×8 baking dish with nonstick spray.
2.) In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar and cornstarch. Stir in lemon juice. Add blueberries and gently toss to combine; set aside.
3.) In a large bowl, combine flour, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, garam masala, and salt. Add egg yolk, vanilla, and cold butter, using your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.
4.) Spread 2/3 of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Spread blueberry mixture evenly over the bottom layer. Sprinkle with remaining 1/3 of the batter and a generous sprinkling of sugar (about 1 tablespoon).
5.) Place into oven and bake until lightly browned, about 35-40 minutes. Let cool slightly before cutting into bars.

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Yup. So many delicious blueberries.

Z and I aren't huge dessert people, but we loved that these bars provided a sweet treat without totally overpowering us with sugar. Given how tame they are, one of these bars would be great with a cup of coffee in the morning, or for a "palate cleanser" after dinner. (See what I did there?).

What's your favorite fruit?

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