Recipe Background
Blueberry-rich Church Potluck Bars with a flaky crust, perfect for sharing.
Stepping off the plane in Vienna, I was both exhilarated and nervous. My host family had graciously welcomed me for a summer exchange program, and I was eager to win them over with a little piece of home: my grandmother's Church Potluck Bars. As my host mother guided me through the winding aisles of the outdoor market, vibrant blueberries caught my eye, and I knew they would make the perfect star ingredient.
Back in the kitchen, the warm scent of blueberries mingling with cinnamon filled the air as I combined the crumbling dough with a trusty pastry cutter. It's funny how food has a way of crossing language barriers. My host mother, curious and generous, supervised my every move with amused delight. I shared how my grandmother always insisted on using cornstarch with the berries to achieve that perfect, glossy filling. I also made sure to let the bars cool completely for neater slices—a small but mighty detail that my grandmother claimed made all the difference.
That evening, we enjoyed the bars alongside steaming mugs of Viennese coffee, and I knew I had brought a slice of my world to theirs. The sticky-sweet centers and crispy tops were met with approving nods and even a few requests for the recipe. Sharing these bars halfway across the world reminded me of how familiar flavors can spark new connections and fond memories.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar divided
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt optional
- ground cinnamon optional, to taste
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 egg
- 3 teaspoons cornstarch
- 4 cups fresh blueberries
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, 1 cup of the sugar, and the baking powder and stir to combine.
- Add the salt and the cinnamon to the flour mixture and stir to combine.
- Add the shortening and the egg to the flour mixture and use a fork or a pastry cutter to blend it into a crumbly dough.
- Press 1/2 of the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
- In another bowl, add the remaining sugar and the cornstarch and stir to combine.
- Add the blueberries to the cornstarch mixture and gently mix to coat them well.
- Sprinkle the blueberry mixture over the dough.
- Crumble the remaining dough over the blueberry mixture.
- Bake until the top is lightly browned, about 45 minutes-1 hour.
- Let it cool completely.
- Cut into serving-size squares and serve.
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