You know that time when you were about half way through a recipe and you went to grab one of the essential ingredients from your fridge and it just was not there? And you swear that you just bought some and it’s probably hiding on you somewhere, and that’s understandable because you just moved
nd it’s not like I don’t try really hard to keep my fridge, pantry and freezer stocked. It’s just that I’m sometimes still in disbelief about how quickly we can go through food, seeing how it is just myself, my husband and our little girl who are eating it.
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups flour
- Pinch of salt
For the filling:
- 3 cups sugar
- 5 eggs
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 3/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- 4 cups strawberries *I used frozen, thawed. Fresh would also work, but you might have more trouble getting the juice out. Or substitute any berries you like
- icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (If using a dark non-stick pan, I recommend baking at 330-335 degrees F and adding a few extra minutes). Line a 9×13″, 10×15″ or 12×16″ pan with tin foil and spray with non-stick spray. I’ve used a 9×13″ and a 12×16″. The bars pictured were made in a 12×16″ pan, and they’re plenty thick!)
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Combine butter, sugar and salt in a stand mixer. Add in flour and beat until just combined (mixture will be crumbly). You can always combine the mixture with your hands.
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Press evenly in the bottom of the pan. Bake 10-15 minutes, until crust feels slightly dry on top.
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Combine sugar, eggs, flour, juices and salt in a large bowl with a whisk. Puree berries in a blender, food processor or Magic Bullet (I got 2.5-3 cups berry puree). Press through a sieve or fine mesh strainer into the bowl with the egg mixture. Whisk to combine. Pour into crust and bake 30-45 minutes until filling is completely set. A 9×13″ pan will need between 40-45 (mine baked 43 minutes) minutes and a 12×16″ pan needed about 30 minutes.
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Cool completely before cutting into bars (I let mine sit in the fridge for a couple hours after they come to room temperature). Dust with icing sugar if desired.
Notes
*The second time I made these I used half whole wheat flour and they were still great!*You can use more or less of whichever juices you desire! Feel free to mix and match.