The first time I made this recipe was back in November 2005. It quickly became a favorite of The Neighbor Wife and one of my co-workers. These days, with so many new recipes in my mounting to-try pile, I only trot it out once or twice a year, but I quickly remember how tasty these bars are. Most recently, I made them for a platter I needed to do for the retiring teachers at Nick‘s school. The recipe tends to be a bit of a crowd pleaser, with its crumbly topping and slightly tart berry filling, so it’s perfect when you need to bring a platter of something somewhere. You know those occasions.
I’m a stickler for things cutting neatly, so I usually let them firm up a bit in the fridge before cutting; this way I get nice and neat cuts without aggravating myself and making a general mess all over the kitchen. For the dried berries in the center, I’ve used a number of different ones. Sometimes it’s cranberries, sometimes blueberries, sometimes a mix. All are equally good. I tend to like the blueberries, because they’re a little sweeter, but the cranberries deliver a nice little punch, if that’s what you’re after. Whichever way you go, you can’t go wrong.
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