Blackberry Pie Bars Recipe

Crust

1. LINE an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
2. PLACE 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour into a large bowl.
3. ADD 2 teaspoons sugar and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
4. STIR to combine.
5. CUT IN 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter using a pastry blender or fork until mixture is crumbly with no large pieces of butter remaining.
6. ADD ice water, 2 tablespoons at time, just until dough comes together when PINCHED in your hand. Dough should not be sticky.
7. DIVIDE dough into 2 pieces, one about 1/4 cup larger than the other.
8. SHAPE both dough pieces into squares and WRAP each square in plastic wrap.
9. CHILL dough squares in refrigerator 1 – 2 hours or until fully chilled.
10. PREHEAT oven to 375°F.
11. ROLL OUT smaller dough square into a 10-inch square. (Optional: Place dough between two large sheets of parchment paper for easier rolling.)
12. TRANSFER to prepared baking dish and PRESS into bottom and about halfway up sides of dish.
13. CHILL in refrigerator until needed.
14. ROLL OUT second dough square into a rectangle about 9-inches by 11-inches.
    
15. CUT into 12 strips about 3/4-inches wide.
16. CHILL in refrigerator until needed.

Filling

1. PLACE 3 ½ cups blackberries (about 18 ounces) into a large bowl and roughly SMASH some of the larger pieces.
2. ADD 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
3. TOSS gently to combine.
4. SPOON filling into baking dish.
5. LAY 6 dough strips across the filling and SEPARATE them by about 3/4 inches.
6. FOLD BACK every other strip slightly more than halfway.
7. PLACE 1 strip perpendicular to the others and UNFOLD folded strips.
8. FOLD BACK alternate strips and PLACE another strip perpendicular to the others.
9. UNFOLD folded strips.
10. REPEAT with remaining pastry strips to create a weaved lattice pattern.
11. TRIM and DISCARD pastry edges.
12. BRUSH crust with 2 teaspoons milk.
13. SPRINKLE with remaining 1 teaspoon sugar.
14. BAKE 45 – 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.
15. COOL completely on a wire rack and then CUT into 8 bars.
16. SERVE Blackberry Pie Bars immediately.