Recipe by The View From the Great Island

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Blueberry Poppy Seed Squares, a unique coffee cake in the Eastern European tradition ~ it's packed with fresh blueberries and crunchy poppy seeds on a buttery shortbread crust. This is one unforgettable snack cake!

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Ingredients

• dough
• ½ lb unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2½ cups all purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• streusel
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• filling
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 4 cups fresh blueberries
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• poppy seed layer
• 1½ cups ground poppy seeds (grind them in a coffee grinder or high speed blender like Vitamix) If you can’t grind them, then use them whole)
• ½ cup heavy cream

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Method

1. Set the oven to 350F
2. Butter and flour a 9x13 pan.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in the flour and salt until just combined. Press it into the bottom of your prepared pan. Chill for 20 minutes, then bake for 12 minutes, just until it starts to turn the faintest golden. Set aside to cool.
4. Put the filling ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch. Turn down the heat and continue to boil for about 15 minutes, or until the blueberries have released their juice and the mixture has thickened a bit. Set aside to cool.
5. Use your fingertips to mix the streusel topping together. Break up the butter into small bits to create a nice crumb. Set aside.
6. Stir together the poppy seeds and heavy cream. Spread across the bottom of the cooled crust.
7. Add the blueberries over the top of the poppy seeds. Top with the streusel.
8. Bake for 40 minutes, until it is bubbling and just begging to turn golden brown along the edges. Cool and cut into 16 squares.

View the recipe instructions at The View From the Great Island