BLUEBERRY CRUMB BARS

Deb Perelman from Smitten Kitchen adapted these from a recipe on

Allrecipes.com, adding in lemon zest and juice and omitting the
cinnamon — both changes I approve of. This is mildly adapted from her
version.
3 cups (750 mL) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) granulated sugar, divided
1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 cup/1/2 lb (250 mL/8 oz) cold butter
2 eggs
4 cups (1 L) fresh blueberries
4 tsp (20 mL) cornstarch
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×13-inch (23×33-cm)
pan and line with parchment paper with a slight overhang like a sling.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup (250 mL) sugar,
baking powder and salt. Add the lemon zest and whisk again. Using a
fork, two knives or a pastry cutter, blend in the cold butter until the
mixture resembles coarse oatmeal. Some of the pieces of butter will be
bigger than others, which is fine. Lightly beat the two eggs and then pour
over the flour mixture. Using a spatula, fold the egg and flour until it
starts to come together and form clumps. Dough will still be quite
crumbly, but squishing it together, it will hold. Add half of the dough to
the pan and pat into a level layer.
3. In another medium bowl, add the blueberries, the remaining 1/2 cup
(125 mL) sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix until combined.
Drizzle over the dough, making an even layer.
4. Lightly squish the rest of the dough to form clumps of various sizes
and then scatter over the blueberries.
5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is slightly brown. Cool
completely before cutting into squares or rectangles.
makes 24 to 36 bars, depending on their size