Blackberry Breakfast Bars

Mmmm. These are good. I could eat them for breakfast every day of my life.

I can see why these might be considered more of a "breakfast bar" than "dessert/coffee bar". There's the oats, for one, and these bars are pretty darn crunchy/crumbly (more like a granola bar). Plus, not as sugary as your usual after-dinner treat. But oh, they are tart and still a tad sweet and absolutely fantastic with your morning coffee/tea/giant glass of milk. And have that faint whiff of "healthy breakfast eats", so I am definitely sold :)

Blackberry Breakfast Bars

(adapted from SmittenKitten)

Ingredients:
For the crust and crumb:

1 1/2 cu.all-purpose flour

1 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 1/4 c. rolled oats

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

For the blackberry filling:

1/4 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. all-purpose flour

1 lb. blackberries, fresh or frozen (thaw frozen in the fridge before using)

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Make the crust and crumb: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch glass or light-colored metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up the two short sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. Butter the parchment.

Put the flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until combined. Add the butter and pulse until loose crumbs form.

Reserve 1 1/2 cup of the mixture and set aside. Pour the rest of the mixture into the prepared pan and use your hans or the back of a large wooden spoon to push the crust into an even layer at the bottom of the pan. The crust should touch the sides of the pan. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let the crust cool. Keep the oven on while you make the blackberry filling.

Make the blackberry filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon and flour together. Add the blackberries, lemon juice and butter and use your hands to toss gently until the blackberries are evenly coated.

Assemble and bake the bars: Spread the blackberry filling evenly on top of the cooled crust. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly on top of the filling.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, rotating the pan every 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling starts to bubble around the edges.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then cut into squares and serve. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days (she lies: mine were still yummy after 4 days. So there; just be sure to keep them refrigerated).