Blueberry Shortbread Bars

Recipe View Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). (5 minutes)

Recipe View Place butter cubes in the freezer for 15 minutes to ensure they are very cold. (15 minutes)

Recipe View In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Sprinkle in five-spice powder. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Cut in the frozen butter using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with butter pieces about the size of small peas. Mix in the egg yolk and continue cutting in until thoroughly combined. Drizzle in ice water, starting with 0.5 teaspoon, and stir to combine. Add more ice water, a tiny amount at a time, if needed. The dough should just come together when pinched between your fingers. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Pour about 3/4 of the crumb mixture into an ungreased 9x9-inch baking dish. Press the mixture down firmly using the back of a spoon or your fingers to create a compact base. Spread blueberries in a single layer evenly over the shortbread base. Sprinkle the remaining crumbly dough evenly over the blueberries. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown and the sides are crisp and browned, approximately 30 to 35 minutes. (30-35 minutes)

Recipe View Cool completely in the baking dish before cutting into bars and serving. This allows the shortbread to set properly. (60 minutes)