Fresh Strawberry Bars
Like Lemon Bars? Then you’ve got to try these Strawberry Bars made with pureed fresh strawberries.
I’ve never been much of a girlie-girl.
Growing up with two older brothers, it was play-rough or don’t play at all. There are family stories of backyard mud fights, bike races down construction-site dirt piles, and broken limbs.
I have an older sister who taught me how to apply makeup and bat my eyelashes, but she is quite a bit older, and moved away before my formative years.
So most of the time it was me and a brother… and his friends.
Scary, right?
Even so, something in me yearns for pink.
A pearly pink bag or phone case makes me giddy with delight. …Maybe I’m reverting as I age.
But most of all, I simply adore pink food.
If it’s pink, I want to eat it. I even disregard my normal label reading in order to indulge in pink edibles without care of consequence.
Pink makes me happy.
So today I offer you the quintessential pink food, fresh strawberries. (Yeah, I know they’re more red than pink. Just play along…)
Recently, I pulled out my favorite lemon bar recipe to make an afternoon treat for the kids. When I opened the fridge to collect the ingredients, I noticed I had two pints of fresh strawberries that were begging to be used. This was a light bulb moment.
What if I used pureed fresh strawberries instead of lemon juice? Fresh Strawberry Bars?
Why yes, that did sound like a good idea!
So I placed a few handfuls of fresh strawberries into the blender. Then I substituted the liquefied fresh strawberries, in my lemon bar recipe (with a few other adjustments,) placed them in the oven, and crossed my fingers.
Low and behold, the PINK Fresh Strawberry Bars were a success!
Fresh Strawberry Bars have quickly become a family favorite. They are so moist and creamy with a bright fresh flavor. Just the treat to serve on Valentines Day, the official holiday for pink food.
Plus, these fresh strawberry bars are so easy to make, my 8 and 10 year old(s) can make them all by themselves.
I will certainly be serving strawberry bars for Valentines Day this year–we may have to make strawberry bars on Super Bowl Sunday as well.
Think the boys would mind a pink treat?
MORE PINK TREATS:
Pistachio Cupcakes with Pink Champagne Frosting
Mini Strawberry Malt Cheesecakes
Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies ~ Sally’s Baking Addiction
Dark Chocolate Bourbon Cherry Soda Floats ~ How Sweet It Is
Pink Velvet Roulade ~ Sprinkle
Fresh Strawberry Bars
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar + extra for garnish
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
For the Strawberry Custard:
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 cup pureed fresh strawberries (depending on size, 6-12 berries) + extra for garnish
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2-3 drops red food coloring to enhance the color, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8x11-inch bar pan with parchment paper. Press the corners to smooth out crinkled edges.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, then add the salt the flour. Mix until the dough just comes together. Dump the dough into the prepared pan. Press evenly across the bottom. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, puree the strawberries in a blender. Add the egg yolks, condensed milk, lemon juice, food coloring, and salt to the liquified strawberries, and pulse to blend.
- Pour the strawberry mixture over the warm crust and return to the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the center is soft, but set. Cool to room temperature. Then cover and chill for at least 3 hours.
To Serve:
- Lift the paper edges, taking the whole strawberry bar sheet out of the pan. Peel back the edges of the paper, then trim the rough edges of the strawberry bars. Cut into 15 squares. Dust with powdered sugar and top each square with a slice of fresh strawberry.
I love these so much! Strawberries are just so perfect so I know these bars must be delish!
Lemon bars are one of my favorite baked sweets. These are so beautiful. I’ve never been a pink person, either, but as of this past year, you can actually find some pink in my closet! ;)
Love these Sommer – makes me think of summertime and sunshine :)
So pretty and I love the pink!
These are so gorgeous! Love this idea!
I have to say you have the best light bulb moments! Strawberries are my favorite and I will be trying these very soon!
I am a sucker for lemon bars so I know I’d love this.
These are a lovely take on the usual lemon bars!
I am totally with you on pink desserts! I’m unsure what it is but there is something so happy-making about them. These look and sound delicious Sommer.
ah-mazing!!! can’t wait to make these!
I can SO identify! King of the Hill, bike races, flashlight tag…those made up the games I played with my brothers and their friends. But my color was purple and that doesn’t translate so well to food, so pink it is! I’ve done something similar with raspberries but now desperately yearning for spring, strawberries and these bars!
Gorgeous! I love the color of the custard and the strawberries on top. Abeautiful shade of pink :) I’m thinking I would drizzle these with a little balsamic reduction.
I love strawberry bars, these are so pretty!
Your post hit a chord with me. I’ve never been a girlie-girl either, but lately I’ve been drawn to pink and now find myself wearing a pink jacket while carrying my pink daytimer and drinking out of my pink water bottle. I think I need some of these pretty pink bars to complete the picture. Great recipe, Sommer!
So pretty!!
I feel you! I was never much of a girly girl either when I was younger. I always went for blue or other colors. I hated pink for a very long time until probably college when I was all things bright colors lol – i love the bars and the bright red/pink shade that they give off. Perfect treat for Valentine’s!!
looks so gorgeous and perfect for a little sweet nibble this Valentines Day!
I hated pink until I had my girls — then I couldn’t get enough of it!