Mosaic Monday~Blackberry Heaven

Here are the beginnings of so many juicy, sweet, tart, yummy, berry goodies



Blackberry pie and blackberry jelly have always been favorites of mine. The trick is getting a hold of some ripe berries. I don't think I've ever bought blackberries....the amount you need for a pie would break the bank at grocery store prices. I've picked berries a time or two in my past, but usually depended on someone else to supply me...like my big brother Larry (Thanks Larry!) All that changed when I moved to the edge of the woods and got my very own blackberry "patch". Right now I have a seemingly endless supply, limited only by my berry picking ambition.



Of course the best berries are always just out of reach


Luckily though there are plenty that require no effort


Washington state is relatively bug and and bad snake free, so I feel pretty safe only having to dodge the occasional spider or the odd thorn prick



And the rewards are worth any minor inconvenience


All forgotten when you dig into berries transformed into tasty treats like Blackberry Pie Bars!



I found this recipe on a blog called Week of Menus and she found it on Joy the Baker who adapted it from a recipe she found in a book called The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather. It's made it's rounds and for good cause! I think these were better the next day..so heeding the advice at the end to wait until you cut is well worth the agony.

Blackberry Pie Bars

Crust and topping
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
zest of one lemon
pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. On a work surface (I used a cutting board), mix together the lemon zest and sugar. Using the back of a spoon or your fingers, rub the lemon zest with the sugar, thereby releasing oils from the lemon.

2. In the bowl of your mixer, dump in the flour, lemon sugar mixture, cold butter, and salt. Beat with paddle attachment until the mixture resembles crumbs. If you do not have a stand mixer, with a hand mixer beat on low until the mixture resembles crumbs.

3. Set aside 3/4 cup of the mixture for the topping. Pour the remainder into a GREASED or parchment lined 9X13 pan and use your fingertips to press the crumbs into the pan. The crumbs will gradually come together.

4. Bake the dough for 10-12 minutes (at 350) or until the crust is lightly golden. Make sure you get to the golden crust because it really adds a wonderful texture to the bar. Allow crust to cool for 10 minutes while assembling the filling.

Filling and Assembly
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3 cups fresh blackberries (if using frozen, thaw and drain first)

1. Whisk together eggs, sugar, sour cream and flour in a large bowl. Add blackberries.

2. Pour blackberries over the golden baked crust and spread evenly. (This may require some proper distribution of the berries as they tend to congregate in one area.)

3. Sprinkle the remaining dough on top. Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 until the pie bar is golden brown. Allow to cool at least 1 1/2 hours before cutting.


This is my entry for Mosaic Monday over at Little Red House. Go check out all of the other beautiful picture mosaics!