Yield: Yields 24 bars.
Always a hit at summer picnics, these addictive squares strike the perfect balance between tart and sweet and chewy and crunchy.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the ends. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of the foil.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Using your fingers, blend the butter completely into the flour mixture. Transfer 2 cups of crumb mixture to another bowl and reserve for the topping. Blend the egg white into the remaining crumbs and then press the mixture into the bottom of the pan to form a level crust. You can tamp it with the bottom of a measuring cup to even it out. Bake the crust until it starts to form a dry top, 10 to 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and egg yolk. Let this mixture stand for 5 minutes; it will begin to thicken.
Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the hot crust and then drop spoonfuls of the lemon mixture over the blueberries. Spread gently with a spatula to distribute a little more evenly, but take care not to crush the berries; it’s fine if the lemon mixture isn’t perfectly even. Bake until the lemon mixture just begins to form a shiny skin, 7 to 8 minutes.
Sprinkle the reserved topping over the lemon-blueberry layer, pressing the streusel between your fingers into small lumps as you sprinkle. Bake until the filling is bubbling at the edges and the topping is brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
Let the bars cool in the pan on a rack until just warm, about an hour. Carefully lift them out of the pan using the foil overhang and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove the foil and cut into 24 bars when cool. The bars may be stored at room temperature for a few hours but otherwise should be kept in the refrigerator.
Be sure to use room-temperature berries. Cold fruit straight from the refrigerator will prevent your dessert from baking evenly.
Wonderful. After reading reviews, I added a full 3 cups of blueberries, and think it was the right decision. They are lovely and yummy. I wish perhaps there was a bit more of the lemon filling. Has anyone tried increasing it?
Delicious and an exceptionally forgiving recipe. I've failed to separate the egg at times, used less/more or frozen blueberries. If you pay attention and think the substitutions through (e.g., if you use frozen berries, then thaw them first and bake a little longer to deal with the extra liquid), this is a fantastic, and virtually fool-proof recipe.
Was making these - again - and couldn't believe I never took the time to say this is one of my favorite recipes EVER. I use 3 cups blueberries also. Always a hit, no matter where I take them!
Subscribe today and save up to 50%
SubscribeDo you really want to delete the list, ?
This won't delete the recipes and articles you've saved, just the list.
This feature has been temporarily disabled during the beta site preview.
Add/Edit a private note for this recipe
This note is only visible to you.Double Check
Are you sure you want to delete your notes for this recipe?Get the print magazine, 25 years of back issues online, over 7,000 recipes, and more.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Write a Review