I have had quite the dilemma this summer.

Summer produce is quite possibly the best thing about the season. And other than just eating the fruits and veggies raw, baking is the next best thing. However, when choosing my new apartment I went for style over practicality (“It’s ooold and pretty and look at the crown moldings and who cares if there’s no AC in the kitchen?”). It didn’t seem like a big deal at the time, but 3 months later I’ve realized just how horrible and downright impossible it is to use your oven in a windowless room when it’s 95° outside. Woe.

But I woke Saturday morning to cloudy skies and mid-70′s temperatures, knowing I wanted to make something for my coworker Robin’s summer party that night, and jumped on the chance to bake. Since blueberries are gloriously cheap right now and simplicity is the best approach to summer fruit, I decided to make these easy and delicious crumb bars which honestly have ingredients almost any average kitchen will have (minus the fruit). Buttery and sweet crumb layers with tart and juicy blueberries in between, these will be a hit at any party or just serving yourself.

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Blueberry Crumb Bars

Based on the recipe from Allrecipes.

Makes 24 bars.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups white sugar, divided
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
• 1 egg
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
• 4 cups fresh blueberries
• 3 tsp cornstarch

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9×13″ baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.
3. In another bowl, stir together the ½ cup sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 45-60 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into 24 squares.

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