low budget lemon bars

Sometimes things fall into place. My husband and I are trying to be good stewards of God's money. This past week was the last week of our first month's budget and we had about $7 left for groceries. A friend at work went blueberry picking with his family and gave me a ton of extra blueberries. I spent the remainder of the work day (including a 2 hr meeting) contemplating the best way to use these blueberries. I decided to put them in a lemon bar recipe. But, as it turned out, we didn't have lemons and only 1/8 c lemon juice. What do you do when the world gives you no lemons? Make low budget lemon bars!

This recipe is taken in part from Joy of Baking

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 stick vegetable spread or margarine (it was the cheapest "butter" we could find. We didn't realize it wasn't butter until we got home)
1/4 c powdered sugar
1 c flour
1/8 tspn salt

Filling:
1 c sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup orange juice
1/8 cup lemon juice (optional!)
1 tbspn flour
1 c blueberries

For the crust: Mix sugar and butter until smooth and light (whatever that means). Add flour and salt and mix until combined. Press the dough into the bottom of an 8"x 8" baking pan and bake in 350 degree oven for ~25 min until the dough looks cooked but not quite brown. Remove from oven to cool while making filling.

For filling: Mix eggs and sugar until smooth. Add orange juice (and lemon juice if you've got it) and mix again. After juice is combined, pour in flour while mixing. When completely mixed, add in blueberries and stir around. Pour into baking dish over crust, spreading the blueberries evenly. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until berries start to burst and the edges of the crust begin to brown.

This dish is gooey-er than usual lemon bars when still warm. If you let it cool for a couple of hours it will be easier to serve. Serving warm is still really good, but it will serve more like a cobbler than lemon bars.

Enjoy!