Blackberry Pie Bars

OH.MY.GOODNESS! My life has been forever changed! :) I discovered the busy mom's dream recipe for blackberry pie. It is fast, easy, and YUMMO! Seriously, I love berry pie. I just have found that I rarely feel like taking the time to make one. The part that holds me back is the crust making. I am not a big fan of frozen crusts either. They never seem flaky enough. I love me a flaky, buttery crust baby.
This time of year, our property is overtaken by delicious, plump blackberries. In fact, last year they created quite the drama in my life. So far this year, the enamel on Miss Sugar's teeth must be sufficiently hardened, as we are not seeing any grey spots, despite the 50 or so blackberries she consumes nearly every day.
After picking a big batch the other evening, I knew I needed wanted my first pie of the season. Unfortunately, I had trouble getting up the energy to make the crust. I lazily flipped through some cookbooks, and did some Internet searching. I ran across this fabulous recipe. I did not have any nuts, so I omitted them. It was so quick and easy to whip up, and the taste.......oh the joy! The bars are like tiny little individual pies. LOVE IT! I took most of them to work, and it was a HIT! I am not sure I'll ever make a blackberry pie again. This is my new love. Sugar Bear gave it a big purple thumbs up! YOU HAVE TO TRY IT!



Nutty Blackberry Pie Bars

Crust:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar

Filling:
1 1/2 cup sugar
4 cups blackberries
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup flour
1/3 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

Melt butter in 9 x 13 pan at 350 degrees. Add flour and sugar and press into bottom of pan. Mix filling ingredients and pour over crust. Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over filling. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Cool and cut into squares.