Blue Ridge Blackberry Lemon Bars Food

THE BEST LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on 2 sides; spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• For the crust: Add the flour, cornstarch, confectioners' sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse 10 times until combined. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand, about 30 times. (The dough will not come together in one mass.) Sprinkle the mixture evenly in the prepared pan and lightly pat it down. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until golden brown around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
• For the filling: Combine the eggs, yolks, sugar, flour, salt and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Whisk continuously over medium heat, occasionally scraping down the sides and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, until simmering and thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon zest and butter until combined.
• Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Pour the filling over the crust and bake until just set, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Place on a wire rack to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
• Use the foil overhang to lift the bars from the pan. Remove the foil and slice into squares. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

CLASSIC LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Make the crust: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with vegetable oil and line with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides; grease the foil with oil. Pulse the butter, flour, both sugars and the salt in a food processor until the dough comes together, about 1 minute. Press evenly into the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides of the prepared pan, making sure there are no cracks. Bake until the crust is golden, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk the whole eggs and yolks, sugar and flour in a bowl until smooth. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice. Remove the crust from the oven and reduce the temperature to 300 degrees F. Pour the filling over the warm crust and return to the oven. Bake until the filling is just set, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Let the bars cool in the pan on a rack, then refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours. Lift out of the pan using the foil and slice. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

FRESH BLACKBERRY BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine flour and brown sugar, cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Press 1 1/3 cups of mixture in bottom of an ungreased 8x8 inch square pan.
• Combine remaining crumb mixture, sour cream, and next five ingredients.
• Blend well.
• Stir in blackberries.
• Spoon over crust, spreading evenly.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
• Let cool; cut into bars.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

BLACKBERRY JAM BARS

Steps:

• Cream butter, gradually add sugar, beating well.
• Combine flour, soda and salt, add to creamed mixture, mixing well.
• Stir in oats.
• Press half of mixture into a lightly greased 8-inch square an.
• Top mixture with jam, spreading to within a 1/4 inch of edge.
• Press remaining crumb mixture on top.
• Bake at 400° for 30 minutes.
• Cool, cut into bars.