Blackberry Pie Bars

It doesn't make any sense. It's the middle of the summer. It's sunny and hot and sticky and I have the sniffles. Going on a week now I've been toting around a roll of toilet paper in my bag (I'm too cheap to buy tissue) for sudden episodes of sneezing and dripping. All the sleeping, shopping, cooking, and lounging at the pool I've been doing must have really worn me out. Relaxing too hard. It can be hazardous.

The worst part of a little congestion? Nothing tastes good. Food loses it's savor. I've thrown out a lot of recipes I've tried over the past few weeks, later wondering if they were actually blah or my taste buds are just duds. Not having a hearty appetite is very unusual for me. And disappointing. My world isn't as fun or exciting when I'm not dying to eat anything. Except for sweets. When all other foods have lost their appeal, I tend to still crave sugar. (I'm sure there's a medical/biological explanation for this, but I didn't learn it in nursing school.)

And so sugar I bring you. A summer treat that can be enjoyed with a cold or without. (It's been thoroughly tested both ways.) I'm not sure that Blackberry Pie Bars is the right name for this recipe. These don't remind me much of pie. But that's the name they've been circulating food blogs by, so I stuck with it. They're really a combination of a crumbly shortbread crust flavored with lemon zest (or almond extract if the lemon you thought you had went missing) and a sour cream-blackberry filling. The tang of the sour cream and tartness of the berries play well against the otherwise sweet ingredients. We thought these were wonderful in every way. Addictive, to say the least.

Blackberry Pie Bars

INGREDIENTS
Crust:
zest of a lemon (or 1 tsp. almond extract)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) cold butter, cubed (I used unsalted butter and added an extra pinch of salt)

Filling:
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar (or 2 cups if your blackberries are super tart)
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
pinch salt
6 cups blackberries

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish (and/or line with parchment paper).

2. To make the crust, pulse to combine the lemon zest (or almond extract), sugar, flour, and salt in the food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 1/2 cups in the refrigerator for topping. Press the remaining crust into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

3. To make the filling, whisk to combine the eggs, sugar, sour cream, flour, and salt. Gently fold in the blackberries. Spread over the pre-baked crust. Sprinkle with the reserved topping.

4. Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes, until the center is set and the topping is lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack before slicing into squares.

Makes a 9x13 pan of bars.

(Adapted from Always with Butter)