blackberry pie bars

So, guess what was on sale at the grocery this week? ALL the berries! Of course that meant that Jason and I bought basically all the berries... to be used in the four weeks we have left in this country. So many baking projects!

The best part of this recipe is... the shortbread crust? The creamy filling? The sheer versatility: these bars would be equally amazing with raspberries, blueberries, strawberries - in short, all the fruit in my refrigerator. I wanted to try as many new recipes with them as possible, but... :)

Blackberry Pie Bars
adapted from Erica's Sweet Tooth

Makes 24 squares

Prep time: ~30 minutes
Bake time: ~1 hour

Ingredients
For the crust:

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup margarine, cold and cut into small cubes

For the filling:
2 large eggs OR 4 oz. egg substitute
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp all purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
14 oz fresh blackberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray an 7x11" or 9x9" pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter, mixing until the mixture is crumbly. Put 3/4 cup of the mixture in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Dump the remainder of the mixture into the prepared pan and press evenly to form the crust. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool for at least 10 minutes.
4. To make the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, sour cream, flour, salt, lemon juice, almond extract, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl until well combined. Add the blackberries and gently fold with a rubber spatula. Spread the filling over the crust evenly. Sprinkle the remaining crust mixture over the berries.
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the bars are set. Transfer to a wire rack and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan. The bars are easiest to cut if you refrigerate them first; keep refrigerated.