Blueberry Frangipane Pie Bars

On the way to work the other day, I heard the Cheers theme song on the radio ("sometimes you want to go where everybooody knows your naaaaame...") and was overcome by nostalgia. I didn't watch Cheers as a kid, but I watched the show that was on right before it (Seinfeld, I think), and always left the TV on so I could hear the theme song. Even as a kid, it made me feel nostalgic.

I guess the idea with the Cheers song is that after a tough day, you can go to a bar where everyone knows you. But for me, it always felt like the song was really about going home, or going back to a simpler time. Because, as the song says, "making your way in the world today takes everything you've got".

If the modern world has you feeling a bit beaten down, I have a solution for you. Click the link in the first paragraph and listen to the Cheers song over and over while you make yourself a batch of pie bars. They are just the thing if "your third fiancé didn't show", "your shrink ran off to Europe and didn't even write", or if, like me, you've just had kind of a long week.

Cherry Blondies & Homemade Almond Butter (Paleo, Gluten free)

These are so good!  Elana of Elana's Pantry is a total genius, because she figured out that almond butter, eggs, and honey will magically bake up into BLONDIES.  Yes!  Fudgy, delicious blondies.  When you read the recipe, you'll think there must be a mistake.  I am here to tell you there isn't!  Almonds prove themselves here once again as a miracle food.  I promise you will love these.  You don't even have to add cherries; you can just make them without for regular blondies.  And don't worry about the almond extract.  I was trying to play up the almond flavor a little, but it didn't really come through.  So you could leave it out, leave it in, or even try a full teaspoon if you want that little hint of marzipan flavor.

Salted Maple Caramel Peach Bars (Gluten free, Paleo)

When I decided to try the paleo lifestyle, one of my main concerns was whether I would still be able to have salted caramel.  Salted caramel is an essential dessert flavor, one that I believe deserves a place right up there with chocolate and vanilla.  If there wasn't a way to make paleo salted caramel, I wasn't sure I'd be able to handle it.

Almond Blueberry Pie Bars (Paleo, Gluten-free)

One of my favorite recipes I've blogged about is almond blueberry pie bars.  They are amazing: a rich, buttery crust, a smooth, custardy filling studded with juicy berries, and a crumbly topping with crisp sliced almonds.  When my mom and I were trying to decide what to make to bring to our cousin's wedding, these bars came to mind.  I wondered if we could make a decent paleo version.

Luckily, the answer is yes!  These bars are just as delicious as the original.  They're not exactly the same--this version has a soft buttery crust, whereas the others had a crunchier crust--but you won't find me complaining.  We brought a huge platter of these to the wedding, and they disappeared fast, devoured by gluten free eaters and non-restricted eaters alike.  They are even more amazing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream--I recommend Blue Bell if you can get it.

It was a bit of an adventure baking these bars at my aunt's apartment, because she does not have a real oven!  I was nervous about using her combination (microwave and convection) oven, so I found the manual online and read the instructions carefully.  I found that the bars browned VERY quickly, but were still not done in the center, so I covered them with foil for the rest of the baking time.  You may or may not have that problem in a regular oven.

This was my first time using coconut flour and maple sugar, and I think they both worked very well in these bars.  The coconut flour is very fine and created a nice smooth crust in combination with the almond flour.  The maple sugar is granulated, so I didn't have to worry about adjusting the proportions of ingredients in order to use a liquid sweetener.  You won't taste any more than a very faint tinge of maple flavor, and that's really only if you're looking for it.  Enjoy!

Ingredients (adapted from Annie's Eats; makes 36 small but thick bars):

For the crust and topping:

1 and 1/2 cups coconut flour
1 and 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons almond flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple sugar (granulated)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest of one lemon
18 tablespoons grass-fed cold butter
1 cup sliced almonds, lightly crushed

For the filling:

4 eggs
1 cup grass-fed milk or coconut milk
1 and 3/4 cup maple sugar
1/2 cup coconut flour
Juice of one lemon
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 and 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350.  Line a 9x13 pan with tinfoil and grease it lightly.  To make the crust, combine the flours, sugar, salt, and lemon zest in a food processor (or by hand in a large bowl).  Cut the butter into cubes and pulse until the mixture is uniform.  If you're not using the food processor, it's easiest to mix the dough with your hands.  Reserve about 3/4 cup of the mixture to serve as the topping.  Press the rest of it into an even layer in the bottom of the pan.  Bake for about 12 minutes, until golden brown.

To make the topping, add the crushed sliced almonds to the reserved dough and mix until combined.

To make the filling, whisk together all ingredients except the blueberries until smooth.  Gently stir in the blueberries.

When the crust is baked, let it cool for 10-15 minutes, leaving the oven on.  Then, pour the filling over, sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling, and bake for about 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the middle is just set.  Cool completely before cutting--it helps to put them in the refrigerator to firm up.  Slice into squares or rectangles and enjoy!

You might also like:

Salted Maple Caramel Peach Bars (Gluten free, paleo)

Fruit & Frangipane Galettes

Banana Blueberry Muffins (Gluten free, paleo)

Almond Blueberry Pie Bars

So, I picked up fresh blueberries at the store today, thinking I’d make the muffins I’ve been wanting.  But then, I saw this post with a recipe for Blackberry Pie Bars on Annie’s Eat’s, one of my favorite blogs.  (The recipe is originally from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather).  I was inspired to try them with blueberries instead, and to give them a nutty twist by adding almonds to the streusel topping and a light almond flavor to the filling.  This makes about 16 small but thick square bars.  They are insanely delicious, and much easier than blueberry pie!  Plus, you don’t even need a fork to eat them.

Ingredients for the crust and topping:

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

Zest of one lemon (about a teaspoon)

Pinch of salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold

1/2 cup raw sliced almonds

Ingredients for the filling:

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar

scant 1/2 cup buttermilk 

8 tablespoons flour 

Juice of half a lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

12 ounces (2 small containers) fresh blueberries, or a little more (if you want to use frozen, defrost and drain well)

Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease and flour an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 baking pan.

To make the topping, process the flour, sugar, and lemon zest in a food processor.  Cut the butter into small cubes and add it gradually.  Once it’s crumbly and well-mixed, reserve 3/4 cup of the mixture for the topping.  Press the remainder of the mixture into the pan to form an even crust that covers the bottom of the dish.  Bake the crust for about 15 minutes, until light golden brown.  The crust will be very bubbly while it bakes—don’t worry!  Let cool for about 15 minutes before adding the filling.  

To make the topping, crush the sliced almonds in your hand, add them to the 3/4 cup of reserved mixture, and mix well.

To make the filling, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, sugar, flour, and extracts until smooth.  Gently stir in the blueberries.

Once the crust has cooled somewhat, pour the filling on top.  Crumble the topping on top of that and bake for about 45 minutes, until the top is starting to brown and the mixture is just set.  Let cool completely on a wire rack, then chill to firm things up before cutting into squares.