And that problem is that I am obsessed with the combination of lemon and blueberry! I guess you could say that this obsession it is equivalent to my obsession with pumpkin in the fall. Is anyone with me on this? Lemon just pairs so well with blueberry and just brightens up any dessert.
I spent last weekend up at my Dad's horse ranch in central California; it was great to get away from the "city life" and head out to the country for some nice down time. Since my Dad lives a few hours away from me, he doesn't get a chance to taste a lot of the recipes I make on the blog. So I decided to change that and bake him something while I was up at the ranch!
We decided to make a batch of lemon-blueberry crumb bars as we are are both fans of this great flavor combination. So while my Dad was out feeding all the horses, I went into the kitchen and got started on the bars. After they came out of the oven and cooled, it was time for tasting. Dad gave them two thumbs up and I would agree! The sweetness from the blueberries melds so well with the creamy filling and make this dessert so amazingly light and refreshing.
Lemon-Blueberry Crumb Bars
{yields: 20 servings}
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 box yellow cake mix
2 eggs, divided
2-8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
zest and juice from 1 lemon
2 cups fresh blueberries
First preheat our oven to 350 degrees. Then line a 13"x9" pan with tin foil making sure some of it extends over the sides. Place the ½ cup of unsalted butter into a microwave safe bowl and heat for 1 minute or until melted.
Then in a mixing bowl, add the box of yellow cake mix (you could also use a lemon cake mix here as well!), along with 1 egg and the melted butter. Mix until combined.
Take ⅔ of the dough and gently press it into the bottom of the pan. Save the remaining dough for the top.
In a separate mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese and ½ cup of granulated sugar and beat until smooth and fluffy. Add in the remaining egg along with the zest and juice from one large lemon and mix until combined.
Carefully pour cream cheese mixture over the dough and sprinkle on top 2 cups of fresh and ripe blueberries.
Then with the remaining ⅓ of dough, pinch off small pieces and place over the top of berries. Place pan in the oven on the center rack and bake for to 55 minutes to an hour or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
Cool bars completely before removing from pan and cutting. Bars need to be refrigerated until ready to serve.
These bars are so light and refreshing and would be the perfect end to a summer BBQ! What are some of your favorite desserts to eat in the summer?
Source
Slightly adapted from Kraft Recipes
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