It’s lookin’ like the wonderful strawberries we’ve been getting from the organic bazaar will only be available for maybe one or two more weeks. So I’ve been told. Eek! Don’t get me wrong, I like cooking and baking seasonally, and am ecstatic about any and all things pumpkin right now, but growing up in Southern California where most produce, including strawberries can be found year-round, and they actually taste good, this can be a tough pill to swallow. Not only are my kidlets sad about their favorite morning fruit going bye-bye but it also means, making delectable treats like these Mixed Berry & Lemon Curd Crumb Bars can only be done if you can get your hands on some frozen berries. Which, lets be honest, don’t yield the exact same results. I do appreciate you, frozen berries, I do.
I first came across these bars on the Daley Plate and once I saw that the recipe included lemon curd, I knew I had to make them. I had a small amount of leftover homemade lemon curd stashed in the freezer that I had been looking for a way to use up and problem solved. And I am so glad I decided to solve said problem with these bars. They are absolutely delectable. I mean, I really had to stop myself from eating them all myself because not only do they store beautifully in the fridge, but they are even better cold. And I dare you to go opening the fridge door looking for some dinner ingredient and not pop one in your mouth. It’s a challenge, trust me.
I used a mix of strawberries, blueberries and blackberries, but any berries would be delicious in this recipe. A single berry would be wonderful too. I can picture how perfectly raspberries would work here. Don’t be intimidated about the lemon curd. Lemon curd can be purchased ready-made in many grocery stores these days. Though it’s really easy to make yourself and having some leftover for your morning toast is not a bad thing and it even freezes well. I used a food processor to make the crust/ crumb topping, but if you don’t have one, or can’t be bothered to pull it out, a large bowl, a fork and some elbow grease will get the job done too. Whichever method you choose, just do give these a try before berry season sets sail. You won’t regret it.
Mixed Berry & Lemon Crumb Bars
Ingredients
For the berry filling-
- 2 1/2 cups (350g) fresh berries (I used 1c cut strawberries, 3/4 c blueberries, 3/4 c blackberries)
- 1/4 cup (52g) granulated sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 tsps fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsps cornstarch
For the crust and topping-
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (118g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup (170g) cold butter, cubed
- 1 egg, slightly whisked
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup lemon curd
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375F/ 190C. Butter or spray with a non-stick baking spray an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan, then line with parchment paper so it comes up the sides slightly. (This will make it easier to remove the whole pan of bars for easier cutting.)
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In a medium bowl, gently combine all the ingredients for the berry filling and set aside.
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In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add the flour, sugar, salt and cold butter and pulse until it resembles coarse crumbs. Then add the egg, vinegar, and vanilla and pulse a few more times until it just starts to come together. It should still be somewhat shaggy. If it's too dry add another teaspoon of vinegar.
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Dump half of the dough mixture into the pan, and press down so it forms an even crust on the bottom of the pan. (The bottom of a glass cup can help with this.)
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Then spread the one third cup of lemon curd evenly over the crust and spoon the berry mixture on top of the curd.
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Evenly crumble the remaining half of the dough over the berries. (Leaving some of the dough in bigger chunks is not a bad thing.)
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Place the pan in the refrigerator and chill about 15-20 minutes. (The freezer can be used to speed the process up.) Then place in the center of the preheated oven and bake about 40-45 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown on top.
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When finished baking, transfer the pan to a rack to cool. Then place the cooled pan in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes if desired for neater looking cut bars. (If you do this, you should be able to gently loosen the edges of the crust from the pan using a butter knife or offset spatula, then pull out the parchment tabs to release the whole pan of bars and cut as you wish.)
Recipe Notes
*I cut the strawberries into quarters and left the blueberries and blackberries whole.
*chilling the pan before and after baking helps to keep the dough from spreading too much on top and makes it easier to cut the bars afterwards.
*Recipe adapted from The Daley Plate.
