While I was preparing our picnic for the train ride to Montreal, I wanted to make some sort of baked good, but something that would be easy to store.  

I had a pint of fresh blueberries sitting in my fridge that needed to be used, but I was afraid muffins would get squished in my bag and scones made with fresh blueberries always end up a huge mess.  

That’s when I came up with the idea of muffin bars, I figured if I kept an eye on the baking time, it shouldn’t dry out and storing will be easy in a tupperware container.  

Recipe:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups blueberries

For the streusel topping:

1/2 cup a.p. flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. and grease a 2 quart rectangle baking dish. 

In a small saucepan, melt your butter until it begins to brown.  Take off the heat and cool.  In a small bowl, whisk together browned butter, brown sugar, buttermilk, egg and vanilla until well combined. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder and salt.  Add milk mixture and stir until just combined. 

Pour batter into the greased baking sheet. 

In another bowl toss together the blueberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour.  This will keep them from sinking in the batter. 

In a small bowl, mix the streusel topping – flour, cinnamon, brown sugar and butter until small clumps appear.  Spread over the batter. 

Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  

Cool completely and cut into squares.  Best stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.