Lemon Berry Crumble Bars Posted on February 28, 2014 (February 1, 2021) by Lynna So, this week is restaurant week in the county I live in…and being the ginormous foodie that I am, I have been eating out like crazy. If you`re unfamiliar with restaurant week, it`s basically a week, where participating restaurants in a large county (like LA), have these special pre-fixed 2 or 3 course meals for a discounted price. There were days were I went out for both lunch and dinner. Let`s just say, I`ve been in a food coma for days. DAYS! No regrets, though. This only comes once a year. Like, girl scout cookies. I need my fix, okay? 😛 I love trying new food and I`m thankful I have friends who are willing to tag along with me on these food adventures. I`m also thankful I have people I can bake for. When the opportunity came up for me to bake something for a small group, I was so excited that I could finally bake these bars. I`ve had them in my mind for months, but never the occasion. Not, that you need an occasion to bake these marvelous bars…I just can`t allow myself to be tempted with a whole pan of these! These bars seem so out of place right now. The lemon and berry combo is usually a must during the Spring and Summer months. But, it`s finally raining where I live, so it`s gloomy and dark outside today. I want this citrusy and berryness to cheer me up. You don`t even need fresh berries for this anyway. I`m in a lemon and strawberry phase right now, so please forgive me. I keep thinking of lemon and strawberry desserts. These bars are just the beginning of many; just you wait! 🙂 After I had my first bite, I nearly jumped from excitement. They were just as I imagined them to be! Trust me, you`ll LOVE these. When I brought them in for the work event I had to make these for, everyone said they were great! Some asked for seconds and we all know what that implies! 😉 Lemon Berry Crumble Bars Adapted: Taste of Home Baking| Yields: 1-9×13 inch pan (about 24-36 pieces)| Level: Easy | Total Time:  60 minutes | Print Ingredients: –         ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened –         1 cup granulated sugar –         1 large egg –         ½ teaspoon lemon extract –         zest of 1 lemon –         2 cups all purpose flour –         ¼ teaspoon baking powder –         1 cup strawberry preserves –         1 ½ cup frozen berries, slightly thawed Directions: 1.      Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, or grease bottoms and sides well with cooking spray. 2.      In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the cream and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). 3.      Add in the egg, lemon extract, and lemon zest. 4.      In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder well. 5.      Slowly add in the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture, in 2-3 additions, mixing in between. 6.      Divide the dough into ¾ + ¼ parts. Press 3/4 of the dough to the bottom of prepared pan. 7.      In a small bowl, combine the strawberry preserves with frozen berries. Using the back of a fork, break up most of the frozen fruits. 8.      Spread fruits evenly on top of dough. 9.      Crumble the rest of the ¼ dough on top of fruits. 10.  Bake for 30-33 minutes, or until tops are slightly golden. 11.  Let bars cool before cutting into bars. *Notes: You can refrigerate leftovers for about 1 week.Â