Black and Blue Crumb Bars

These bars will blow any cobbler away.  Yes, I'm serious.

How could this be?!  Because you can enjoy these for breakfast or dessert with vanilla ice cream a la mode.  And who doesn't love some sweetness beyond the late night snack?  

Trust me; I tried them both ways in Seaside, Florida this past week for spring break.  No regrets, y'all.

I chill the bars for an easy cookie-like morning snack and pop them for 30 seconds in the microwave to get the ultimate, buttery crust you'd find in a pie.  Basically, these bars can and will please anyone!

black and blue berry crumb bars

makes approx. 36 small bars

1 cup white granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks)

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 cups fresh blackberries

2 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup white granulated sugar

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 inch pan and set aside.

2.  In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or your fingers to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the berries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes, or until top is slightly brown.  Cool completely (you can even chill them in the fridge) before cutting into squares.

adapted from smitten kitchen

Cookies with Mrs. Fields

Yesterday was such a “treat” in countless ways. I had the privilege of baking cookies with the cookie master, Debbi Fields Rose, famously known as the one and only “Mrs. Fields.”

When you think of the iconic Mrs. Fields character, you’re probably in for a shocker. She is definitely not a tollhouse elf, but indeed a woman with more energy than I could ever convey—maybe it’s all the sugar? Heck, she even climbed Mount Kilimanjaro last year and will judge a new TLC show next season!

peanut butter with hershey bars.

Mrs. Fields has discovered that the perfect cookie requires dancing to the Kitchen Aid for a full ten seconds before turning off the mix master. She vouches that you can never have too much butter, vanilla extract or chocolate (Guillart is her favorite milk chocolate; Bakers is her favorite white chocolate). She believes that sweetness—literally and aesthetically—and joy are key assets to baking in the kitchen.

Clearly, there’s something behind the cookie.

And while I can’t go into too much detail on exact measurements and steps to make these irresistible, buttery, rich cookies, I can tell you that my sister Julia, Cassidy and Carly Gubin, and I learned many baking tips that will carry us through the holidays and beyond.

Taste testing the cookie dough perfection. Debbi approves as well.

- The vanilla extract should overflow in the measuring spoon. Trust Debbi.

- Cut the butter in small pieces before adding them to the blender. And keep the butter cold.

- After blending butter and sugar, make sure the butter pieces are “no larger than the size of a pencil eraser."

- Dancing to the Kitchen Aid adds entertainment and preciseness!

- Use a scooper to perfect your cookie’s roundness.

Baking cookies with Mrs. Fields is like throwing a football with Tim Tebow or discussing politics with President Obama.  Basically, you won't find a better teacher and expert in the field of cookie making.

I deeply appreciated her approval regarding this blog thus far.  She shared with me the value and importance of creating a "brand" that an audience can connect to.  I am taking her words to heart and hoping to make this "brand" a successful and enjoyable one.

We laughed.  We danced.  We shared baking secrets.  We ate too much cookie dough.  We were so full, we didn't even have room to try to the cookies after they cooled.

Thank you, Debbi, for the extra two pounds I woke up with this morning...and the friendship we have formed.

[Make sure you follow Debbi on Twitter or Instagram - her name is @butterisbest.  Fitting, right?]