Berry (or Fruit!) Crumble Bars

I know, I know. I live in Michigan.

It's not berry season. Or fruit season. It's cold, and everything is covered in inches (or feet, for the unlucky) of snow.

But let's be real: after the holidays, we all need something that makes us feel good about eating it. Even if it's not really healthy, we can at least pretend.

Well, I'm pretending this morning. (And my little pregnant self thought it sounded good.) 

This is really similar to most other crumble recipes, but I think it's my favorite now. I used it a bit this summer, and it's definitely wonderful. I've only ever used it with berries, but I think it would be awesome with peaches. (Which is going to be my next attempt!)

This is something that, regardless of the weather, will make you feel like summer! 

Remember, comments are loved! What's your favorite reminiscent-of-summer recipe?

Printable Recipe

 
Berry (Or Fruit) Crumble Bars

Ingredients
Crust and Topping

• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup old-fashioned oats
• ½ cup light brown sugar, packed

Berry Layer

• 2 cups berries
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray an 8” square pan with cooking spray; set aside. 
2. Combine all ingredients for crust; mix well. Set aside 1 heaping cup for topping. Press remainder evenly into prepared pan. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, toss together all ingredients for berry layer. Evenly distribute over the crust.
4. Sprinkle the reserved crumble over berry layer. 
5. Bake for about 45-60 minutes, or until edges are set and crumble is a golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Yield/Time

16 pieces

1 ½ hours + cooling

Nutrition Facts

140 (using a mixture of blueberries & strawberries)

Source (for original): Averie Cooks

Jam Tarts! (Or, what to do with leftover pie crusts)

So, do you remember all those pies I've been making? Well, I don't know about you, but every time I make pie crust, I always have extra. I'll eat a bit of it just plain, but my all time favorite thing to do with extra pie crust is make jam tarts.

This is something I would do at my Grandma's house, when I was little. If she was rolling out pie crusts, she would let me use to extra crust. It was always fun, and they tasted so good with the hot pastry shell & jam! It's like a mini, Serena-sized blackberry pie! (Because, of course, you have to use blackberry jam!)

I don't remember exactly how we did it then, but now I roll out the extra, use a cup to cut out muffin tin sized circles, and place the pastry in a muffin tin. Press it in slightly, then add a bit of jam. Maybe 1 to 2 tablespoonfuls? I just plop some in there; there is no measuring. (And, of course, homemade jam is best. I've made them with blackberry, strawberry, & apple jelly; blackberry & strawberry being my favorites of course!) Bake it at whatever you are baking the pie at (350 or 375 usually) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pastry is as browned as you want it to be & the jam is hot & bubbly.

Then try not to burn yourself when biting into that warm deliciousness.

(But if you don't succeed, I don't judge you. I burn myself every time. Every. Time. You would think I would learn to wait like a grown-up.)

Do you have something fun you do with leftover pie crust?