Introductory Post!

Well, hello there, blogosphere! Welcome to this first post of my food blog. I'm Julia, an avid baker, first time blogger. I've been baking for years but only recently decided that I wanted to start cataloging my culinary adventures, so here I am. Today I showed up at my parents' house for dinner, and my mom started in with the "do you feel like baking today?" routine. Did I feel like baking! She requested these Lemony Blueberry Streusel Bars from RecipeGirl which I've made in the past, to which I happily obliged. They are a tiny bit involved, but so incredibly worth it. The crust is buttery, sweet, and the slightest bit salty, while the filling is creamy and tart with delicious little bursts of blueberry flavor. Yum!



Lemony Blueberry Streusel Bars
RecipeGirl.com
Yields about 24 bars.

8 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
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 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 large egg, separated
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 1/2 cups room-temperature blueberries, washed and drained on paper towels

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 9×13-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the ends. Spray foil with cooking spray- bottom and sides of the pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Using a pastry cutter (or your fingers), blend the butter completely into the flour mixture. Transfer 2 cups of the crumb mixture to another bowl and reserve for the topping.

3. Blend the egg white into the remaining crumbs and then press the mixture into the bottom of the pan to form a level crust. Use the bottom of a flat, wide glass to tap the mixture and even it out. (The crumbs stuck to the bottom of the glass, so now I just pour the mixture into the baking dish and press it flat with the palm of my hand).

4. Bake the crust 10-12 minutes, or until it starts to form a dry top.

5. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk condensed milk, lemon juice & zest, and egg yolk. Let mixture stand for 5 minutes to thicken.

6. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over hot crust and then drop spoonfuls of the lemon mixture over the blueberries. Spread gently with a spatula to distribute as evenly as you can. Bake until lemon mixture begins to form a shiny skin, 7 to 8 minutes.

7. Sprinkle reserved crumble topping over the lemon-blueberry layer, pressing the streusel between your fingers into small lumps as you sprinkle. Bake until filling is bubbly at the edges and the topping is brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

8. Let 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 foil and cut into 24 bars when cool. (If you have time to chill the bars, they’re easier to cut cleanly when chilled).



If you, dear reader, are a fan of lemon and/or blueberry, I highly recommend you make these.