Magazine Monday's - Blueberry Crumb Bars

Like many people, I have an ever growing stack of magazine recipes that I have collected over the years and it seems like I never have (or make) time to try the recipes out. I read so many food blogs and I came across Cream Puffs in Venice. The creator of this blog, Yvonne does a post every Monday called "Magazine Mondays". She opens it up for other food bloggies (is that a word ha?) to participate with her and she posts their recipes on her site.

This is the first week that I am participating and I decided to try out a recipe from the July 2009 edition of Bon Appetit magazine. I made these and submitted them for a baked goods auction that my Aunt had at her church. I was really happy with how they turned out. I am actually making them again this afternoon for a meeting that my Mom is doing food for tomorrow. I love the shortbread like crust and the yummy fruit filling. I imagine that these can also be made with other fruits and jam's. I would love to try raspberry sometime.

Blueberry Crumb Bars

Bon Appetit, July 2009

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup sliced almonds

3 cups fresh blueberries or a 12-ounce package of frozen blueberries

1 cup blueberry preserves (10 - 11 oz)

1 TBL all purpose flour

1 tsp finely grated lemon peel

Prehead the oven to 375. Butter bottom of a 9x13 pan. Whisk flour, oats, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add 1 cup butter; rub in with fingertips until mixture sticks together in small clumps.

Transfer 2 cups to medium bowl; mix in almonds and reserve for topping.

Press remaining crumb mixture evenly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake crust until golden and just firm to touch, about 22 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.

Mix all ingredients in medium bowl. Spread evenly over crust in pan, then sprinkle reserve topping over.

Bake bars until filling bubbles thickly at edges and topping is golden brown, about 40 minutes; cool in pan on rack.