THESE ARE NOT GOOD FOR YOU Raspberry Pie Bars

Usually I try to post things that are healthy, or quick, or at least use whole grains. This recipe follows none of the above. They're full of eggs, sugar and sour cream. And flavor. And deliciousness. And perfection. The original posting is here. These are quite frankly the most perfect little raspberry pie bars ever. They're creamy, yet tangy. Chewy and super moist, but they don't need a fork. The edges are that perfect caramelized combination of crispy and chewy. And - despite the amount of sugar - they're actually not overly sweet. Enjoy. Warm. With a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

THESE ARE NOT GOOD FOR YOU Raspberry Pie Bars
Makes - 1 9x13 pan, 12-15 bars

Crust and Topping

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes

zest of two lemons

Raspberry Filling

4 large eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup sour cream (I used plain whole milk yogurt and it was fine)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

pinch of salt

2 (16-ounce) packages frozen blackberries or raspberries, defrosted and drained. I've also heard good reports about using blueberries.

(You can also use 6 cups of fresh raspberries, or 1 (16-ounce) package frozen raspberries and 3 cups of fresh raspberries. Or use 1/2 rasp and 1/2 black berries)

Just for the record, I used raspberries and only made 1/2 batch in an 8x8 for my tasting testing)

Directions for the crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch backing pan with butter or cooking spray and set aside. Zest two lemons onto a cutting board (wooden works well). Measure out the sugar on top then pinch, crush and knead until the lemon is distributed. 2-3 minutes should do it. The hard sugar grains bring out the oils of the lemon peel. Do yourself a favor and add 1/2 C sugar, then remove 1/4C when you're done (it will be damp and pack down). Use this phenomenal lemon sugar in your hot tea. Mmmmmm....
2. Combine lemon sugar, flour, salt and butter in an electric mixer fit with a paddle attachment. Beat the ingredients on medium speed until the mixture looks dry and crumbly. (if you don't have a stand mixer, make this crust like any other pie crust)
   
3. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the crust mixture to use as the topping (hide these lemon crust crumbles from yourself, or you won't have any left for the topping!). Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust for 12 to 15 minutes until it is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes while you make the filling. (mine took more like 20 min. I think it's because of the tall sides of my glass pan. Just bake until golden)
   

To make the filling-

1. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. (you can use the same bowl/utensils that you used for the crust - you're going to sprinkle it on top of the filling anyway) Add the sugar, sour cream, flour and salt. Gently fold in the raspberries. Spoon the mixture evenly over the crust. You may have to distribute the raspberries evenly around.
2. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly over the filling. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

**If you’re using frozen berries, be sure to defrost and drain the excess liquid. Place the frozen berries on a plate in the refrigerator overnight. They’re defrosted and ready for bar baking! Or give them about 4 hours on the counter.

BONUS RECIPE: Thaw the berries in a colander over a bowl. Pour the juice into a glass, squeeze your 2 zested lemons in and add 2 big spoonfuls of sugar. Dilute to taste (I drank mine full strength... s-l-o-w-l-y... Mmmmmm)