Description

These Stone Fruit Berry Slab Pie Bars combine the juicy sweetness of fresh blackberries, blueberries, and nectarines with a zesty lemon pie dough, creating a delightful dessert perfect for warm weather. The bars feature a tender, flaky crust with a lightly sweetened fruit filling, topped with a delicate egg white meringue-like glaze and coarse sugar for added texture and sparkle.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Nectarine Berry Filling

4 cups fresh blackberries
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 cups sliced nectarines (about 4 large nectarines)
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup all purpose flour or 1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon juice (from 1 small lemon)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Lemon Pie Dough

5 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1 small lemon)
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound unsalted butter, cold (4 sticks)
1 large egg white and yolk separated
1/2 cup ice water or more as needed

Topping

2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup coarse sugar

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Instructions

Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 325°F (163°C) to ensure it’s properly heated when ready to bake the pie bars.
Prepare Dough Mixing: In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and toss it with the dry ingredients. Use your fingertips to work the butter in until only small pieces remain. Add the egg yolk and ice water, stirring just until the dough comes together without overworking.
Chill Pie Dough: Divide the dough into two large pieces. Place each piece on a sheet of parchment paper roughly the size of a half sheet pan. Cover each with another parchment sheet and roll out to fit the parchment. Transfer the dough-lined parchment sheets to baking sheets and chill in the refrigerator until firm, at least 30 minutes.
Prepare Filling: In a bowl, gently stir together blackberries, blueberries, sliced nectarines, sugar, flour, lemon juice, and salt to combine the fruit filling evenly.
Assemble Pie Bars: Remove the top parchment sheet from one dough piece and decorate as desired. Peel off the top parchment from the other piece and press the dough into the corners of the sheet pan to form the bottom crust. Spread the fruit filling evenly over the bottom crust. Carefully place the decorated dough on top of the filling with the parchment side up. Gently peel off this parchment and press the edges of the top and bottom dough together, using scraps to fill gaps where needed.
Add Topping: Brush the entire crust lightly with heavy cream or milk. Whip the reserved egg white until fluffy and meringue-like, then brush it randomly over the crust’s surface. Sprinkle coarse sugar evenly over the top to add sparkle and crunch.
Bake: Place the assembled pie bars in the preheated oven and bake for 40 to 55 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
Cool and Serve: Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Cut into squares and serve chilled or at room temperature for best flavor and texture.

Notes

Use fresh, ripe stone fruits for the best flavor and texture in the filling.
If you prefer a thicker filling, substitute cornstarch for the flour in the filling mixture.
Handle the dough lightly and keep ingredients cold to ensure a flaky crust.
Egg white brushing creates a lovely shiny meringue-like texture and improves the appearance of the crust.
Coarse sugar sprinkled on top adds a sweet crunch and visual appeal.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bar (approximate)
Calories: 321 kcal
Sugar: 15 g
Sodium: 225 mg
Fat: 16 g
Saturated Fat: 10 g
Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 40 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 4 g
Cholesterol: 51 mg