Lemon Poppy Seed Blueberry Bars

The following recipe and photography were provided by Food Scientist Kathleen Ann of Bread Over Heels.

Bursting with juicy, fresh blueberries, these Lemon Poppy Seed Blueberry Bars have multiple layers of decadence and springtime flavors, perfect for a holiday brunch!

Jammy blueberries and flavorful poppyseeds are sandwiched between layers of shortbread crust and streusel, which are made from the same dough for ease of preparation. The result is a differentiated, fruit-forward bar celebrating the change of seasons!

Ingredients

For the Shortbread

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cold and cubed
3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
Dash of salt
2 egg yolks
2 Tbsp. half & half
Zest of 1 lemon

For the Poppy Seed Filling

¾ cup poppy seeds
2 Tbsp. half & half
Zest of 1 lemon

For the Blueberry Filling

4 cups fresh blueberries
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 tsp. cornstarch
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 baking tin with foil or parchment paper with a slight overhang on each side. Lightly grease with butter.
Prepare the shortbread. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using your hands or a pastry knife, mix in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolks, half and half and lemon zest. Add the liquids to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly to evenly combine.
Press 2/3 of shortbread dough into the bottom of the prepared pan, ensuring a cohesive layer is formed. Reserve the remaining dough for topping.
In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the poppy seed filling. Distribute the filling evenly on top of the shortbread crust.
In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the blueberry filling. Pour on top of the poppy seed layer.
Sprinkle the remaining shortbread dough over top of the blueberry filling layer.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into the bars to serve.

Lemon Poppyseed Blueberry Bars