Blueberry Pie Bars - February Secret Recipe Club

I know. I am not usually thinking about blueberries this time of year.

I was just out looking at my little garden. I have high hopes this year for how I want it planted. I pulled some of the loose grass away from my blueberry bushes and saw they are slowly coming back from Winter. They have buds already and I just need to set the irrigation back up for them.

Okay, those bushes may have me thinking about blueberries, but I am never fast enough to grab berries before the birds do. And if the wild birds don't snag them, I think my chickens do.

No, usually I go pick with the kids in the fields and freeze as many berries as we can. Then we enjoy them in muffins, smoothies and pancakes all Winter long. I recently noticed that I had one lone bag left in my chest freezer and I have been saving it for something special.

Being February, it is time to announce my Secret Recipe Club assignment! This month I had Flavors by Four, a Mother and Daughter blogging team.

Susan and Nicole put a lot of heart into all the dishes they create and share on the blog. I had a great time browsing through and looking for the perfect recipe. Of course, I also bookmarked some others to try, like the Greek Pizza and Roasted Eggplant Dip. I am always up for a little baba ganoush! 

But I was hooked at the sight of the Blueberry Pie Bars. It seemed like the perfect treat to use my last bag of blueberries on.

A good bar begins with a good crust. This crust is buttery and flaky. Just add the ingredients to your food processor and pulse away.

This recipe gets high marks for simplicty. Just mix, pour and bake and these lucious blueberry bars are yours.

Blueberry Pie Bars
Adapted from Flavors by Four

You Will Need:
For the Crust/Topping

• 1 c. flour
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 3/4 c. unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

For the Filling

• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 3 Tbsp. clear jell
• 3/4 tsp. almond extract
• 2 1/2 blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a square baking dish (8"x8") with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a food processor add the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pulse once or twice to mix. Then add the cubed butter and pulse till the mixture resembles a coarse sand. Save 1 1/2 c. of the mixture for the top. Press the remaining mixture firmly into the bottom of your baking dish.

For the filling, whisk the eggs. Combine the sugar and clear jell and whisk into the eggs all at once. Then mix in the sour cream and almond extract. When the mixture is well combined, fold in the blueberries.

Pour the filling over the crust and top with the remaining crumb mixture.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Look for the topping to turn a golden brown. Let them cool completely in the baking dish before cutting so they can set up and hold their shape.

Enjoy!

Of course check out all the other great recipes from my fellow Secret Recipe Club members:

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