October 25, 2014

Lemon Blueberry Pecan Crumble Bars

State Fair of Texas #1 Cookie Day Winner (Original Recipe)

At the State Fair of Texas this month, these Lemon Blueberry Pecan Crumble Bars wowed the judges and won out of dozens upon dozens of entries. Once we baked and tasted them, we knew why.

Paula Wyse Kindred, the winner, created these completely from scratch and even made her own lemon curd. She originally named her recipe: “Bluebonnet Trail Lemon Blueberry Crumble” after the state flower of Texas, bluebonnets, and her nearby favorite hiking trail (it’s full of the bright colorful flowers). Citrus and berries in a buttery cookie bar…you cannot go wrong!

If you buy premade lemon curd, these cookie bars are baking in the oven within minutes. Yay! (Home-made lemon curd is out of this world too though, if you can spare the time =)

These Lemon Blueberry Pecan Crumble Bars come out colorful and tasting crazy good! We renamed and adapted Paula’s recipe, mainly for wording, process and steps, but overall we didn’t change it much. We didn’t need to. The bars are perfectly delicious. And we congratulate her! Big time!

You are going to love the vibrant look and taste of these blue ribbon winning bars! Please please please! Make these soon! And enjoy!

-Cyndi

 

Lemon Blueberry Pecan Crumble Cookie Bars

2 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons Gold Medal all-purpose flour, divided

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup (2 sticks) butter (softened)

1 egg

1 cup lemon curd (11 oz. jar)

1 cup fresh blueberries

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Set oven to 350 F. Line a 9×11-inch pan with aluminum foil (use a 9×13-inch pan for a slightly thinner bar). Butter the foil on bottom and sides (to remove more easily after baking).

In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour with 1 cup sugar. Add the pecans, butter, and mix until resembles coarse crumbs and butter is evenly distributed. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of it (lightly packed) for crumble topping. Press the remaining mixture into the lined pan.

On top of the cookie bar bottom layer, evenly spread the lemon curd (use pre-made as a time saver or make your own, recipe below). Rinse blueberries and remove any remaining stems. Toss with remaining two tablespoons of flour to coat. Spoon on top of crust, evenly spreading out the fruit. Mix remaining 1/2 cup of sugar with 2 tablespoons lemon juice until syrupy. Drizzle over the blueberries. Top with remaining mixture of flour/sugar/pecan/butter, evenly spreading out the crumble.

Bake for 1 hour until golden brown. Makes about 24 bars.

 

Lemon Curd:

4 medium size lemons for zest and juice

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 lb butter

5 eggs

1/2 cup lemon juice (3-4 lemons)

 

You’ll need about 4 lemons. Zest them first, until you have about 3 tablespoons zest. In a small bowl, mix the zest with the sugar. In a large bowl, cream the butter, then beat in the lemon zest/sugar. Add in the eggs, one by one, followed by the lemon juice (reserving extra for other uses), mixing until fully incorporated. Transfer to a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, about 15 minutes, depending on heat level. Allow to cool slightly. Use or place in jar(s) and refrigerate any leftovers.

-Recipe (adapted) from Paula, State Fair of Texas, 2014 Gold Medal Flour Cookie Contest