Berries. Summer. The two words are synonymous with each other! I was so happy to find a pick-your-own blueberry patch in Salisbury, MD (Garden of Eden Orchards for all you locals folks) – which is about 30 minutes north of me. The boys and I went the week before last, and we had so much fun filling up our pail with blueberries. Hoping to get back up there this week to pick some berries for freezing!

These bars had been on my radar to make since they popped up on one of my favorite sites earlier in the month in a recipe roundup for the 4th of July. A sweet/tart lemon bar, studded with gorgeous raspberries? Sign me up! When I went to make them, some of my raspberries were not at their most pristine condition – so, I tossed in some blueberries to fill the holes left behind by the less desirable raspberries that I had to chunk.

These were super-duper easy, a quick bake time – which is wonderful in this “hotter than the hinges of Hell” weather we’ve been having. And, aren’t they pretty? I really do love bars for dessert. It’s more of an indulgence than a cookie, but lighter than a cake. Take advantage of the gorgeous summer berries while they are in season!

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Lemon Berry Bars

For the crust:
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
¼ cup sugar
zest of one lemon

For the filling:
2 large egg yolks
1-14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line 8×8 inch baking dish with aluminum foil. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and lemon zest until moist. Press crumbs into the bottom of the prepared dish. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the crust to cool to room temperature.

Once cooledl, whisk the egg yolks and condensed milk in a large bowl until combined. Whisk in the lemon juice and lemon zest, until mixture begins to thicken slightly. Carefully fold in the berries. Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust. Bake for 15 minutes, or until just set.

Cool to room temperature, remove from pan, and then chill for at least a few hours before slicing. For a quicker set, stick into the freezer for about 30 minutes. Cut into bars and serve. Bars can be kept in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Source: adapted from Live Love Pasta; originally from Two Peas In Their Pod

Cherries are flooding the supermarkets near me, for under $2 a pound. They’re one of the many things that I look forward to in summertime. Last weekend, we put a homebrewed sweet/sour cherry beer into secondary fermentation – should be ready next week. Made with 3 lbs of sweet roasted Bing cherries, and 3 lbs of sour Morello  cherries. Excited to try it is an understatement. I’ve also been baking up plenty of sweet treats in the kitchen with these little gems – including, but not limited to, this fabulous ice cream and these delectable brownies!

A rich, fudgy brownie studded with juicy roasted cherries? I was sold on these the day last August when Annie posted them – but, cherries were back up to $5/lb at that point, and I resolved to put it off until next summer. Well, here we are my friends. I can safely tell you that these brownies are worth the wait. Hell, they’re so good – it’s worth paying $5 per pound for the cherries! I made them for a girls night last weekend, and they were a hit. I originally planned to serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, but they were so rich and decadent – I didn’t even bother. Make these, now!

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Roasted Cherry Brownies

2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved
1¼ cups plus 2 tbsp. sugar, divided
5 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into quarters
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 450 F.  Combine the cherries and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a small roasting pan and toss well to combine.  Roast the cherries for 10 minutes, or until they begin to release their juices.  Remove the pan from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350 F.

Line a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with foil (I used an 8×8 – yields a thicker brownie).  Lightly spray the foil with cooking spray.

In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth.  Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth.  Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, remaining sugar, vanilla and salt; whisk until combined, about 15 seconds.  Whisk in the warm chocolate mixture until incorporated.  Then stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until just combined.  Gently fold in the roasted cherries.  Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread with a spatula to make an even layer.  Bake until slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs clinging to it, about 35 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Remove the brownies from the pan using the foil and transfer to a cutting board.  Cut into squares as desired.  Store in an air-tight container.

Source: adapted from The Pastry Affair and Baking Illustrated, via Annie’s Eats