Strawberry Crumb Bars are the Summer's Best Dessert

Meet Erin, the blogger behind Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts and the winner of this month's Shine Supper Club for her swoon-worthy strawberry crumb bars (recipe below). Peek inside Erin's mind and refrigerator as she answers our usual questions:

What ingredient are you currently obsessed with? 
Zucchini. They are growing like crazy in my garden right now, so I am coming up with all sorts of ways to use them. My 8 year old loves muffins, and zucchini muffins are one of his favorites.  Zucchini also, surprisingly, goes really well with chocolate. This double chocolate zucchini bread is one of our favorites. I am also testing out some other brownies and cookies recipes this summer, as well as throwing it in pasta for quick dinners

Favorite food memory?
My earliest memory of food is sitting on the counter, next to the mixer baking cookies with my mom.  chocolate chip cookies and brownies were a regular occurrence on the weekends when I was a kid. We always used the same recipes and still do today. Getting to sit on the counter, sneaking bites of dough when you are 5 years old is the best thing in the world! 

What's your go-to easy dinner? 
Tacos! I almost always have the ingredients on hand, and my whole family loves them. Plus if you want to get creative, you can use different meats and dress them up with different flavors. And honestly, I will use just about any excuse to eat guacamole.

Ketchup or mustard? 
Ketchup all the way. I have never liked mustard. I don't mind mustard in a salad dressing or a little bit in a sauce, but never on a hot dog or just plain. I know, I should be shunned! 

_________ has simplified my cooking life enormously.
Meal planning! Every Sunday I sit down to come up with a plan for the week. I ask my family if they have any requests for the week, and I come up with a plan. I make my shopping list, get all the recipes together, and make sure everyone knows the plan. That way when everyone gets home for the day, they already know what is for dinner, and there is no complaining or last minute scrambling.

Strawberry Crumb Bars


from Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts

Serves 24
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

A shortbread-like crust topped with fresh strawberry filling and a crunchy streusel

2⅓ cups flour
⅔ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter – cut into ½ inch pieces
+ 2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup quick cooking oats
¾ cup strawberry jelly
¾ cup fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13×9 in pan with non stick spray.

2. In electric mixer stir together flour, sugar and salt. With the mixer on a low speed add the 1 cup of butter, 1 piece at a time. Continue mixing until combined – about 1 to 1½ minutes. Take 1¼ cups of this mixture and set aside. With the remaining, press this firmly into the bottom of the pan. Bake at 375 for 14 minutes. The edges will be slightly browned.

3. While that is baking. Add brown sugar, and oats to the reserved flour mixture. Work in the remaining 2 Tbls of butter, using your fingers. Work until it is in small clumps.

4. Combine the jelly, strawberries and the lemon juice in a small bowl. Mash with a fork to combine. Be sure to leave some chunks of berries in there.

5. Spread filling evenly over the hot crust. Sprinkle with the streusel topping over the strawberries. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes. The crust will be brown, and the filling will be bubbly. Enjoy!