What's Scenting The Cottage Today?

Blackberry Pie Bars and they are delicious! These bars have a custard like blackberry center nestled between a shortbread crust and top, and if you are a blackberry lover like we are, (you can use raspberries if you wish as well) they will be your new favorite. This dessert is great chilled, but if you can't wait that long and wish to eat it warm you can simply scoop it out cobbler style. Add a bit of vanilla ice cream on top and you may just faint from delight!
Crust and Topping

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled (I used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Sticks)

Fruit Filling
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream (I used Fat Free Sour Cream)
3/4 cup flour
pinch salt
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp almond extract
2 (16-oz) packages fresh or frozen blackberries (if you use frozen thaw and drain)

To make the crust and topping, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. I use Pam Cooking Spray.

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a mixer. Stir to mix. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes, and add to the flour mixture.  Mix until the butter is evenly distributed but the mixture is still a bit crumbly..

Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the mixture to use as the topping. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan, and bake 12-15 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes.

To make the filling, whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then add the sugar, sour cream, flour, salt, lemon zest, and almond extract. Gently fold in the berries and spoon the mixture over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining flour mixture evenly over the filling, and bake 55 - 60 minutes or until crust is light to medium brown and center of the bars are firm.

Keep in mind that the blackberry mixture in the bars is a little custardy so they may seem like the center of the bars aren't done when you pull the pan out of the oven. They set up as they cool.

Cool at least 1 hour before cutting into bars.