{"id":4075,"date":"2021-07-29T11:00:18","date_gmt":"2021-07-29T15:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thequaintkitchen.com\/?p=4075"},"modified":"2021-08-11T15:15:52","modified_gmt":"2021-08-11T19:15:52","slug":"vegan-blueberry-custard-bars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thequaintkitchen.com\/en\/vegan-blueberry-custard-bars\/","title":{"rendered":"Vegan Blueberry Custard Bars"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This week I\u2019m coming at you with yet another blueberry recipe. This time vegan blueberry custard bars! A delicious buttery base (without the butter) topped with a creamy pastry cream<\/a> and homemade blueberry compote swirl similar to the one used in the blueberry buns<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You might be reading that, and looking at the pictures, and thinking to yourself this looks kind of heavy. But I can guarantee you it\u2019s not. The biscuit base melts in your mouth, the custard layer is silky, light and almost flan-like, and the blueberries add freshness and brighten up the whole thing. It\u2019s quite the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You might also be thinking this requires quite a bit of work. It might seem that way since there\u2019s 3 separate elements to make, but they\u2019re all easy and fairly quick to whip up. Plus they all just require simple ingredients and there\u2019s no need for special equipment! The bulk of the time goes into waiting for the whole dessert to set so you can cut it and dig in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to make these vegan blueberry custard bars<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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It all starts with the buttery shortbread-like base. I say shortbread-like<\/em> because it\u2019s not the same recipe as traditional shortbread but it yields a similar texture. You just need flour, sugar, salt, water, oil and lemon zest. That\u2019s it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You simply mix the sugar, salt, water, oil and lemon zest together, add in the flour and combine until you get a smooth dough. Then you press it into a greased and lined 9×9 pan, use a flat-bottomed cup to evenly compact it, and bake it. That\u2019s one element down and just one bowl dirtied!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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While that bakes, you\u2019ll want to prepare the ingredients for the custard and blueberry compote. You can use the same saucepan to make both by starting with the blueberry compote and transferring it to a bowl, then rinsing out the saucepan to make the pastry cream. Or you could just use 2 saucepans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Or<\/em>, you can even make the pastry cream in a bowl in the microwave. I discovered that magic while testing this recipe and it\u2019s dangerously easy to do. Custard in just a few minutes? Witchcraft. I\u2019ll outline the method here and on the cr\u00e8me p\u00e2tissi\u00e8re blogpost<\/a>, which also includes all the info you\u2019ll need to make pastry cream if you\u2019re interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Regardless, you\u2019ll want your ingredients ready. Once the base is done baking, set it aside to cool and start by making the blueberry compote. Cook all the ingredients together in your saucepan, stirring constantly to minimize sticking. Lightly mash the blueberries with your spatula and cook until the mixture has bubbled and thickened. Then set it aside and move on to making the custard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The assembly<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Once the custard is done, pour it over the baked base and spread it evenly over the surface. Then dollop small spoonfuls of the blueberry compote onto the custard and swirl it using a skewer, toothpick, or small knife. You can use as much or as little of the compote as you\u2019d like, you\u2019ll just have less or more of it to top off each square when you eat them! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And this is where you have to wait to enjoy the fruit of your labour. At least 1 hour or until the filling has fully set. Then you can remove the whole thing from the pan, cut it into 16 portions and enjoy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Storing the blueberry custard bars<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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These blueberry custard bars are the kind of thing best eaten the day they\u2019re made. Especially if you want them looking pretty. The base will still be crisp and the blueberry compote will still be cleanly swirled in. But if you have leftovers, they\u2019ll last in the fridge for another 2 days in a closed container. It\u2019s just that the colour of the compote will bleed into the custard and the base will soften.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I don\u2019t recommend freezing these since pastry cream tends to split in the freezer, plus the compote contains a lot of water. Both those things will make for a very unappealing and unpleasant dessert once defrosted. So just stick to eating them fresh!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you make this recipe please let me know in the comments! All feedback is very much appreciated and I would love to hear from you! You can also tag me on instagram @the.quaint.kitchen or use the hashtag #thequaintkitchen to share your creations!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Vegan<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Vegan Blueberry Custard Bars<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\nTatyana<\/span>\n
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Delicious vegan blueberry custard bars! Buttery biscuit base topped with a creamy, silky and light custard swirled with a homemade blueberry compote.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\n\t<\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/span> Print Recipe<\/a>\n\t<\/path><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/span> Pin Recipe<\/a>\n\n \n<\/div>\n\n
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Course <\/span>Dessert<\/span><\/div>
Total Time <\/span>2 hours<\/span><\/span> hrs<\/span> 20 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Servings <\/span>16<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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<\/div>Ingredients
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Base<\/h4>