Blueberry Shortbread Bars

See how to make delicious fresh berry bars. See more

READY IN 1 hr

Blueberry Shortbread Bars

Read Reviews (21)

"You can use any summer fruit in these bars, as long as you don't use too much and it's not too wet. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!" — Chef John

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place butter cubes in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Sprinkle in Chinese five-spice powder.
Cut in frozen butter using a pastry cutter until the butter pieces are about the size of peas. Mix in egg yolk and continue cutting in until thoroughly combined. Drizzle in ice water and stir to combine. The dough should just come together when pinched between your fingers.
Pour about 3/4 of the crumb mixture into an ungreased 9x9-inch baking dish. Press the mixture down firmly using the back of a spoon. Spread blueberries in one layer and sprinkle with remaining crumbly dough.
Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden and sides are crisp and browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 15 mins
COOK 30 mins
READY IN 1 hr

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Aug 20, 2012

As usual, Chef John delivers a great recipe. I wanted a cookie bar for my favorite mechanics at our local Midas shop who love cookies. I don't do cookies well, and usually take them scones ( the Savoy recipe here at AR). After watching John's video, I thought these were a good compromise between cookies and scones. They turned out very well. Thanks Chef John.

—Marjorie

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Sep 04, 2012

Used chinese 5 spice powder as listed in recipe, shouldn't have. Gave the shortbread an unusual taste, kind of like bad breath aftertaste.

—LJHAWK

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24 Ratings

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Aug 20, 2012

These were fast, easy, and very delicious! My family really liked them (except one daughter who doesn't like blueberries). I don't have Chinese spice so used 1/8 tsp. nutmeg and 1/4 tsp. cinnamom. Thanks, and I enjoyed the video, also.

—Cherimomofnine

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Oct 26, 2012

great recipe!!!!! I used blackberries, which are my favorite (oh why must they be cursed with so many seeds?!) I liked this recipe because of the shortbread crunch at the bottom, it really set it apart from a usual crisp. I didnt have 5 spice, so I added nutmeg and cinnamon. I also added a bit of vanilla and 1 tablespoon water to the dough. I think I freaked out on the consistency of the dough, and I thought more water was needed, but it probably wasnt. It turned out great, and once all those little butter balls melted in the oven, the crust turned into crispy, buttery goodness.

—anniebb25

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Sep 16, 2012

I've made this recipe a couple of times. Huge kudos each time! I doubled the recipe and used a Pyrex 11 x 15 size pan. Worked perfect. I used frozen blueberries and subsituted the chinese five spice for 1 tsp. of cinnamon.

—kikismom

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Aug 20, 2012

Love them!!! They are so easy and watch the video also!Try them....

—MeganHaag

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Aug 21, 2012

Absolutely delicious - I used blackberries which is what I had on hand, but I look forward to trying with blueberries.

—jenrocha

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Nov 15, 2012

Easy and delish. If you want very sweet add extra sugar, but if you want to taste blueberries leave recipe as is.

—Barb

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Nutrition

Calories
167 kcal
8%

Carbohydrates
21.7 g
7%

Cholesterol
37 mg
12%

Fat
8.2 g
13%

Fiber
0.6 g
3%

Protein
2 g
4%

Sodium
163 mg
7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Blueberry Shortbread Bars

Serving Size: 1/12 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 167
Calories from Fat: 74

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 8.2g 13 %
** Saturated Fat 5g 25 %
** Cholesterol 37mg 12 %
** Sodium 163mg 7 %
** Potassium 28mg < 1 %
Total Carbohydrates 21.7g 7 %
** Dietary Fiber 0.6g 3 %
Protein 2g 4 %
** Sugars 9.3g
** Vitamin A 5 %
** Vitamin C 1 %
Calcium 2 %
Iron 8 %
** Thiamin 13 %
Niacin 10 %
** Vitamin B6 1 %
** Magnesium 2 %
** Folate 17 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.