Well Look At That, I Baked Again!

Baking doesn't come easily to me but I keep on trying!  I really liked this recipe.  I had clipped it out of my Fine Cooking magazine a while back and wanted to wait until blueberries were in peak season to actually make it.  The recipe is pretty straightforward and although it combines a couple of steps, it was pretty easy to manage (even for a non-baker like me).  It also didn't take too long to make, which is awesome because it's the type of thing that looks like it did.  One of the things I liked best about this recipe is that I pretty much had everything on hand, with the exception of the fresh blueberries (had to buy them the day of) and the condensed milk (I'll be honest, I didn't think I've even used condensed milk before).

The toughest part was sticking the pan into the oven three times; once to bake the crust, twice to give the blueberries and condensed milk a chance to heat up and lastly, to toast up the topping and making it all good and crunchy.  To help with all the timing going on, I enlisted the help of the alarm clock on my cell phone (that's a lifesaver when it comes to baking and exact timings).  After everything was all said and done, I was left with something that tasted like a dangerously good blueberry granola bar.  The fresh blueberries provided a nice sweetness that was punctuated by the condensed milk, which really just formed like a cream.  Although these bars are titled Blueberry Streusel Bars with Lemon Cream Filing, I didn't really get a lot of lemon.  Next time I make them, I'm going to add more lemon zest because I'd want that to come through a little more.  

These would be great to bring to a summer party or perfect to munch on while lounging at the beach or just in your backyard.  Pair with an icy cold lemonade and kick back and enjoy summer. 

To get the recipe, click HERE