Lemon Blueberry Bars

I am unbelievably ready for fall and all the things that come with it. Fall weather is my favorite for several reasons, but one of the main ones is that it’s warm enough for sandals but cool enough for jeans and a cardigan. Pumpkin, of course, is the reason I really look forward to fall every year. Sadly, it’s still August, which means the unofficial start of fall is still over a week away. On a brighter note, that means there’s still time to enjoy summery desserts like this one.

I first made these lemon bars for my friend Erin’s birthday. They were such a hit at her party that I knew I’d have to make them again before summer’s end. I put off making them until I realized that as soon as I made my first pumpkin dessert, there was no going back to summer ones. Since I know I have little will power when it comes to pumpkin, it was imperative that I make these and soon. (Beware the pumpkin posts that await next month.) These lemon bars remind me a lot of cheesecake bars. They start with a thick, lemony graham cracker crust that’s topped with a tart, even more lemony filling. I haven’t used sweetened condensed milk much, and I had no idea it would create such a smooth, rich filling. To take the bars over the top, fresh blueberries are folded into the filling, providing a pop of flavor and color. These bars are a little sweet, a little tart and a lot delicious. I know fall is almost here, but these bars are almost enough to make me wish for an extra week of summer.