I adore anything with blueberries. In fact I have told my husband that for my last meal on earth, I want his Upside Down Blueberry Pancake. And then there is my Blueberry Galette or Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake or Mixed Berry Galette. You get the point. So when this King Arthur Baking recipe came up as a card on my phone, I figured I should try it.
Until relatively recently, it had not occurred to me to use rye flour for anything other than rye bread or pumpernickel. But another King Arthur recipe for Rye Chocolate Crumb Cake made me change my mind. It was also fabulous in these Rye Molasses Ginger Cookies.
In general, I have found the King Arthur recipes to be pretty accurate and clear-cut. Since they are also clearly selling their products, I do resent when they list one ingredient that I would not normally have and used and in a tiny amount. But they have a business to run and I work around it when necessary. This was not an issue for the Rye Blueberry Bars. I did, however, make a few very small tweaks to the directions, which I believe made this recipe better.
Due to the unprovoked, criminal and seemingly endless brutal war of annihilation against Israeli and Palestinian civilians by Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis and against the Ukrainians by Vladimir Putin and the worsening humanitarian crisis, please consider helping by following the links below. There are a number of reputable aid agencies from which to choose. Many of these agencies will also help victims suffering the devastating effects of natural disasters. This list is not exhaustive but is a good place to start.
Rye Blueberry Bars are delicious and not particularly difficult to make. They are at their peak on the day you make them. While they don’t go bad, the texture of the crust will soften after day one. That doesn’t put me off, but forewarned is forearmed. If you have a family or a bunch of friends or co-workers to feed, having left-overs will not be an issue. Now I don’t know what universe the King Arthur people live in, but they thought you should get 16 pieces. And perhaps you should. However, realistically, eight pieces is more like it.
Being totally honest, my husband liked these a lot more than I did. He even got poetic in his description – seriously! Are they worth trying? Absolutely. Do I personally prefer it to the other blueberry desserts mentioned above? No.
The rye flour lends a slight nuttiness to the crust and the oatmeal streusel topping has a very homey feel to it. And what’s great is that the dough that forms the bottom crust also is used for the streusel! As Ina Garten would say, “How easy is that?!” I used fresh blueberries for this and the flavor is enhanced with the lemon juice and cardamom – two natural complements to blueberries.
If you love blueberries like I do or if you happen to have a bounty after berry picking, any of the blueberry recipes linked above as well as these Rye Blueberry Bars would be great options for a delicious summer dessert. And if you are interested in trying rye flour in something other than pumpernickel and rye bread, give this recipe and the others linked above a go.
Recipe
Yield: One 8-inch pan of cookie bars
Ingredients
Filling
1/3 cup (104g) maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons (28g) lemon juice
3 tablespoons (21g)
cornstarch
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (120g) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup (53g) Medium Rye Flour
1/2 cup (45g) rolled oats, old-fashioned or quick cooking (I used old-fashioned)
For the dough
1/2 cup (107g) light or dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup (28g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted if lumpy
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons (142g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Directions
To make the filling
In a medium pot, combine the blueberries, maple syrup, and salt. Cook over medium-low
heat, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries begin to burst and release their juices, about 4 to 6 minutes.
Lightly mash some of the blueberries with a flexible spatula or wire masher. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice and cornstarch until smooth; this is known as a “slurry.” Stir the cornstarch slurry into the blueberry mixture and boil for 30 seconds (and no longer.) Then remove from the heat. The mixture will visibly thicken.
Stir in the vanilla and set aside to cool while you prepare the crust and topping.
To make the crust and topping
Preheat the oven to 375°F and prepare an 8″ square pan. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of the pan. Line with a parchment sling.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor combine the flours, oats, sugars, salt, cardamom, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the butter and vanilla and pulse if using a food processor until the mixture is crumbly. The butter should be about the size of peas and the mixture should hold together when squeezed.
Transfer half of the crumbs (about 2 cups, or 260g) to the prepared pan. Shake the pan to evenly distribute the crumbs, then use your hands or the back of a flat measuring cup (on top of a small piece of waxed or parchment paper to prevent sticking) to press firmly into the edges and corners of the pan. Refrigerate the remaining crumbs until ready to use as the topping if your house is warm.
Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, or until well browned. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.
Transfer the blueberry filling to the pan and gently spread evenly over the crust. (A small offset spatula is a helpful tool here.) Remove the remaining crumbs from the refrigerator and sprinkle them evenly over the top of the blueberry filling. Give them a little squeeze before dropping them onto the top to form the streusel.
Return the blueberry bars to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crumbs are brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
Remove the blueberry bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the pan before using the parchment to transfer them to a wire rack. Slice and serve at room
temperature. If you wish to add some vanilla ice cream, I certainly won’t tell you “No.”
Storage information: Blueberry bars are best enjoyed the same day they’re baked. Leftover blueberry bars can be stored, covered, at room temperature for several days, but they will soften in texture.
