I’m in the mood for a garden party. An afternoon spent stretching in the sun. Like a housecat no longer content to hide under the bed, I want those warm summer rays. These lemon blueberry bars and a tall glass of hibiscus tea will join me outside, where I’ll read, or maybe write, or maybe just lounge until I drift to sleep.
Oh wait. I almost forgot. I live in Austin..and we’re about to hit August. And just in case you didn’t know, this city doesn’t understand warm.
We’re hot, baby, and it’s going to be a good two or three months before my garden party dreams can come into fruition.
But if you live somewhere like Vacactionland (aka Maine) you’re in luck. On our most recent trip, Ryan and I stumbled upon this potting shed, sitting serenely amidst a thick forest of pines.
In Maine, summer days melt sweetly into summer nights. You can easily sit in a lawn recliner (this hand woven chair from Hayes Garden World is my favorite) while your special someone presides over the charcoal grill. Bacon-wrapped scallops, perhaps? Or thinly sliced summer squash sprinkled with olive oil? Sounds just about perfect, huh?
Especially when your backyard is blooming with the fullest hydrangeas you’ve ever seen. And after you’ve enjoyed your meal, you can have a lemon blueberry bar with a glass of champagne. I promise, they’ll make a good afternoon, great.
These lemon blueberry bars are heavenly. A thick shortbread crust paired with a vibrant and tangy filling makes these bars the perfect antidote to a warm summer day. And when you’re spreading the lemon custard over the warm crust, throw in a few blueberries. Not only do they look lovely against the yellow, but a burst of berry juice when you take your first bite is always good.
Hopefully, some of you live in a climate that allows for mid-summer dining. Make a batch of these bars, sit at an outdoor table (or swing on a hammock), and sip on raspberry champagne. You deserve it.
Lemon Blueberry Bars
*Adapted slightly from a Cook’s Illustrated Recipe
For the Crust:
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more to decorate the finished bars
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into 1-inch pieces
For the Filling:
7 large egg yolks, plus 2 large eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2/3 cup lemon juice (from 4 or 5 medium lemons), plus 1/4 cup finely grated zest
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/3 cup fresh blueberries
1. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Fold two 16-inch pieces of foil or parchment paper lengthwise to measure 9 inches wide. Fit 1 sheet in the bottom of the greased pan, pushing it into the corners and up the sides of the pan (overhang will help in removal of baked bars). Fit the second sheet in the pan in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet. Spray the sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt in a food processor and process briefly. Add the butter and process to blend, 8 to 10 seconds, then process until the mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse meal, about three 1-second pulses. Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly with your fingers into an even layer over the entire pan bottom. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the crust until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
4. In a medium non-reactive bowl, whisk together the yolks and whole eggs until combined, about 5 seconds. Add the granulated sugar and whisk until just combined, about 5 seconds. Add the lemon juice, zest, and salt; whisk until combined, about 5 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a medium non-reactive saucepan, add the butter pieces, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the curd thickens to a thin sauce-like consistency and registers 170°F (76°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Immediately pour the curd through a single-mesh stainless steel strainer set over a clean non-reactive bowl. Stir in the heavy cream; pour the curd into the warm crust immediately. Sprinkle with blueberries.
5. Bake until the filling is shiny and opaque and the center 3 inches jiggle slightly when shaken, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 45 minutes. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil or parchment handles and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 2 1/2 inch squares, wiping the knife clean between cuts as necessary. Sieve confectioners’ sugar over the bars, if desired.
Hi Monet! I just finished writing a post I am publishing later this week about wishing I had a garden to have a party in! Great minds think a like :)! These lemon bars sound so perfect to enjoy in the summer, I cannot resist tart lemon anything and the blueberries are so lovely on them! Hope you had a wonderful weekend :)!
Gorgeous! I’m such a lemon bar fan. I prefer them over brownies, actually.
And yes it has been hot… very hot and humid. These would totally hit the spot right now.
My husband’s favorite dessert is lemon-blueberry pie. He’d LOVE this.
My grandmother lives in Maine, and I grew up going there each summer. She was a fruit dessert person, too. Thank you for reminding me about those lazy summer days, and her kitchen! 🙂
Well, I hope we’re all dining on *something* this summer–even if not outside! These lemon blueberry bars look great–must take advantage of all the summer blueberries while they’re still here!
My tastebuds are tingling already.
These bars have me itching to eat my computer screen 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
That potting shed looks so cute!
Your lemon and blueberry bars look deliciously tangy. I’ve never tried the combination before but can imagine the pairing would be good.
I have never tried hibiscus tea but will look out for it in future. Lovely!
I absolutely adore lemon bars and I would happily choose them over chocolate most of the time. I’ve never seen any this fantastically bright yellow though. I love the cheerful look of these especially!
P.S. As a sweltering resident of Phoenix, I’m with you dreaming of garden parties. I’ll just have to wait until winter!
These bars and raspberry champagne sound like the perfect combination. And the color, my goodness, I can’t get over how good these look! Yellow is my favorite color, anything in yellow draws my attention in an instant.
your first paragraph instantly made me think of Maine, and painted such a lovely scene for an outdoor afternoon siesta. lovely indeed.
my darling beloved is a fan of lemon squares, adding the fresh blueberries are top are a revelation.
I would give anything to be in Maine–up at the tippy top Northern edge! These bars look yummy! Keeping fingers crossed that the heat and August sort of take a vacation from all of us!
Ooh, lemon bars WITH BLUEBERRIES! Summerlicious! Thanks for letting us know we deserve it. 🙂 Just lovely!
These bars sound amazing Monet!
Also, now I’m really wanting to have a garden party. And by that, I mean I want my parents to have one so that I can go, and not have to deal with any of the clean up. 🙂
I’ve always wanted to see Maine in the summer. I’m sorry you’re suffering from such intense heat, but at least you got to get a way for a bit! These bars are just beautiful. I love the vibrant colors. If these don’t say summer, than nothing does.
Monet,
These bars are gorgeous, and I love the lemon blueberry combo. That combo was my Mom’s favorite. I’ve never seen lemon bars that yellow, either, but I’m going to try these for sure.
Im in Florida right now on vacation and yeah…way too hot for a tea party. But just perfect for these bars! Lemon and blueberry are perfect for each other.
The colors of your bars are just gorgeous! I adore how beautiful and elegant your writing is. It totally makes me want to lounge outside in the summer sun. Enjoy your day, Monet 🙂
I do live in the proper climate and I do love a lemon blueberry bar with a glass of champagne. Sounds like a win/win! GREG
You always know what I want. And today there is excellent weather for a garden party. Too bad I polished off the blueberries or else this would be my next few hours. Stay cool! Lots of love!
Oh dear sister- please come to Colorado soon and bring some of these delightfully amazing recipes! The cinnamon rolls on the right are making me want to drive to Austin right now and find them! Oh and the idea of rasberry champagne and your heavenly bars! Open a restaurant already! We all want to make these dreams a reality for everyone to enjoy!
Miss you and love your creativity- so inspiring.
a garden party sounds like so much fun! i can already imagine myself serving all sorts of cakes and cupcakes….maybe even biscuits and tea…lol
your lemon blueberry bars look awesome! want to send over a batch to chicago??? 😛
Those lemon berry bars look heavenly! You are so creative!
I love your new site. It is very charming. These bars look wonderful, such a great combination of flavors. I have many blueberries just waiting to be used in this lucious dessert:)
What a beautiful post! These bars look so rich, and I love the addition of the berries! Hope your August weather is manageable…just remember August means fall is around the corner!
Maine in the summer is pretty much as close to perfection as you can get…lovely photos!
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