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Blueberry Pie Bars
Samantha Seneviratne
1985 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
1,985
About 1 hour 10 minutes, plus chilling
Updated Oct. 11, 2023
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Make the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the wine, brown sugar and cloves. Simmer over medium heat, stirring, just to dissolve sugar, a few minutes. Turn off heat, and add rum or brandy, if using. Set aside, off the heat, to cool.
Put cream and confectioners’ sugar in a clean bowl and, using a stand mixer, hand mixer or whisk, whip to very soft peaks — not too stiff. Stir in almond extract.
Build the cake: One at time — they’ll be too soggy otherwise — quickly dip one side of each ladyfinger in the syrup, and place in a 9-inch square baking dish with 2-inch sides (or something similar, doesn’t have to be ovenproof). Repeat until the bottom of the pan is lined with syrup-dipped ladyfingers.
Dollop about a quarter of the whipped cream all over the ladyfingers, then spread with a spatula. Scatter half of the sliced nectarines, then half of the raspberries, over the cream.
Dip the remaining ladyfingers, one at a time, into the syrup, and layer them over the fruit. Spread another quarter of the whipped cream, then scatter the remaining nectarine slices and raspberries over.
Top with the remaining whipped cream and spread to your liking.
Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, and preferably overnight. (Cover lightly with wax paper, if you like.) Before serving, sprinkle with amaretti. The cake may be cut into squares, or simply scooped out with a big spoon.
This recipe looks good but then I noticed it calls for 2 1/2 cups of heavy cream. That would mean I'd have to buy two pints of cream for that extra half cup. I wish recipe developers would take things like that into consideration for home cooks who don't have unlimited ingredients at their disposal.
Frank, I made this last night using one pint of whipped cream to which I added one 8 oz container of marscapone. I had about the same volume of mixture that I would have had with an extra whipped half cup of cream, only tastier and sturdier. The finished dessert was absolutely delicious. The only other change I made was to leave off the crushed amaretti cookies on top; the dessert really doesn’t need it.
2 cups of heavy cream works just fine. I agree that it is silly to have a recipe with 2 1/2 cups. It’s a little creamy anyway so just use a bit less.
Biscoff cookies work marvelously in icebox cakes!
I’m making this as soon as I can find decent nectarines. To make it more tiramisu-like and less fool-ish I plan to add marscapone to he whipped cream.
Pound cake.
I couldn't find ladyfingers, so I made a white Texas sheet cake (moist & sweet!) and cut it into two layers. Also, the dipping seems a bit laborious, so I poured the syrup into a condiment bottle and squirted it over the cake (or ladyfingers if you use them). You really need a DEEP pan for this. Five/5 nectarines were enough, used 2 pkgs of raspberries. I didn't have whole cloves so used a pinch of ground cloves instead. I was able to find amaretti cookies at a local bakery, but they're pricy!
That left over half cup of heavy cream can be used in so many different ways! It stays fresh way longer than other lesser fat creams so I stick it in the coldest part of my fridge. I use a splash of it in soups and sauces and with pasta dishes that need a bit of enrichment. Another splash will enrich scrambled eggs and mashed potatoes and even a dash in vinaigrette. Voila! Half cup heavy cream gone!
This is just like a Filipino mango float! When you’re making a float, you use sweetened condensed milk instead of sugar to sweeten the cream, which mixes in really nicely.
Heavy cream freezes well. Can freeze in any amounts desired, even in ice cube trays for all additions to lots of things. If freezing whole container, open and pour off half inch or so to allow for expansion.
I’d like to do this without alcohol. Thinking I would just use water? Maybe juice? Any suggestions?
I was thinking of trying this with rose or orange blossom water in place of the alcohol, if anyone else is looking for alcohol substitutes.
Of course you could.
The flavoring screams for a bit of ginger, so I added vanilla for the extract and a touch of ginger paste in the syrup for the lady fingers. Paired with a chilled Chambord-spiked Brut Champagne (with a little volunteer raspberry), freshly brewed espresso, and a rash of bacon. Some day will do a seared salmon with fresh dill and balsamic glaze with parmesan-roasted asparagus and baby redskins on the side for a full Sunday Brunch. The cake would be a gorgeous finale!
This was light, refreshing, but still a little special! Great summer desert.
Can frozen fruit be used ? If so, with what alterations? Thank you !
Would peaches work as well as nectarines?
Any stone fruit (plums, apricots) would "work."
Made this exactly as written, great hit! This is a keeper--light, not too sweet, allows the fruit to shine. Do use a high-sided dish. The entire cake was eaten by four of us!
For me, this was the base of something great, but it fell short. Personally, I didn't enjoy the clove in the syrup...I would leave that out and possibly make a bit more syrup. I also felt that the whipped cream could use a bit more of both the almond extract and the powdered sugar. Also, it definitely needed something a bit deeper than 2" to put that many layers into.
A winner, truly delicious. I used 500 ml cream, beaten to stiff peaks (I don't like my cream sloppy, it'll soften anyways) and 250 g mascarpone. The mascarpone helps keeping the shape besides being delicious. The liquid was a little on the short side, so I stretched it with the juice of 1/2 orange. Besides the raspberries, I only used 1 nectarine, very ripe, cut into tiny pieces (easier to cut portions). I didn't have amaretti, so topped it with shaved dark chocolate.
This was delicious, and was even tastier the next day, so it's a good make-ahead dessert. I made it with rum, but it could easily be omitted. For a no-alcohol version, what about using a dry non alcoholic wine for the sugar syrup? I know people who enjoy drinking these, so should work for cooking.
I made this and my husband said it was the best cake I’d ever made. But the nectarines should have been much more ripe. Alas and alack.
Should one layer the ladyfingers syrup-side down or up?
I could’ve used my trifle bowl. Don’t really have a 9x9 with 2” sides and it was taller than 2” when it was done. I used ground cloves cuz I don’t have any whole and meant to use just a pinch but used a bit more than I meant - hope it doesn’t taste too Christmasy in August in the desert!
Just popped it into the fridge for dessert tomorrow night. I can get high quality ladyfingers at my local grocery store. I did, per usual, increase the overall quantity since I have 3 ravenous teenagers at home. I used 2 C whipping cream, 8 oz mascarpone cheese, dead ripe plums, blackberries, and one peach to even things out. It does require a rather deep dish, next time I'm going to do it in a trifle dish.
Do the nectarines have ti be overly ripe or can I use ripe but not soft?
The flavoring screams for a bit of ginger, so I added vanilla for the extract and a touch of ginger paste in the syrup for the lady fingers. Paired with a chilled Chambord-spiked Brut Champagne (with a little volunteer raspberry), freshly brewed espresso, and a rash of bacon. Some day will do a seared salmon with fresh dill and balsamic glaze with parmesan-roasted asparagus and baby redskins on the side for a full Sunday Brunch. The cake would be a gorgeous finale!
Made this yesterday with Greek yogurt instead of whipping cream. Whipped the yogurt a bit to make it more thicker. Used water instead of wine but did add the rum. Could easily be vanilla extract or just simple sugar syrup with no addition if looking for alcohol free. Omitted the cloves as I didn’t want a spice with those fruits. Short story long, it turned out great! The fingers soak up the excess yogurt liquid and the cake is structured with soft and perfect cake pieces. Tastes wonderful!
Has anyone tried this with a non-alcoholic liquid in place of the wine? Was wondering if Earl Grey tea might work?
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