Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for the filling)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan thoroughly or line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides so you can easily lift the bars out later. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the cold, cubed butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the beaten egg and vanilla extract, then stir or use your hands to mix until the dough starts to clump together and becomes moist.
- Transfer about two-thirds of the dough mixture into the bottom of your prepared baking pan. Press it down firmly into an even layer to create the bottom crust. In a separate bowl, gently toss the sliced strawberries with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice until the fruit is evenly coated. Spread the strawberry mixture in a flat layer over the bottom crust. Take the remaining one-third of the dough and crumble it evenly over the top of the strawberries using your fingers. Place the pan in the center rack of the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is a beautiful light golden brown and the strawberry filling is bubbling around the edges.
- Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire cooling rack. It is essential to let the bars cool completely in the pan before attempting to slice them; this allows the fruit filling to set properly so the bars don’t fall apart. Once cooled, use the parchment paper handles to lift the entire block out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Slice into 12 generous squares or 16 smaller bars. Serve them as they are, or take them to the next level with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
- Cook Time: 65 minutes