Cardamom Pecan-Crusted Blackberry Streusel Mascarpone Lemon Bars with Basil Glitter

Photo of Cardamom Pecan-Crusted Blackberry Streusel Mascarpone Lemon Bars with Basil Glitter
Prep Time
20 mins.
Cook Time
50 mins.
Yield
16
Recipe by:

The best of everything! Old, new, sweet, tangy, fresh, spicy! Blackberries & pecans make their way into lots of desserts in our kitchen, evoking fond memories for me and my daughters, picking blackberries with my mama, eating pecans with my daddy. And we all adore tangy lemon bars. Pecan Cardamom crust, mascarpone in filling, blackberry swirls, fresh basil sugar glitter. Eggland's Best eggs make the best curd-type fillings and cheesecakes! Only the Best (Eggland's) for America's Best Recipe!

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Ingredients

Blackberry Filling:

  • 6 ounces fresh or frozen (thawed) blackberries, partially mashed
  • 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Crust:

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 cup very finely chopped pecans
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened well

Mascarpone Lemon Filling:

  • 4 ounces mascarpone cheese
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 3 Eggland’s Best eggs, large
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup strained fresh lemon juice

Glitter:

  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
  • 4 tablespoons coarse white sugar
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Preparation

  1. Blackberry Filling: Cook blackberries in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until juicy and beginning to get syrupy about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. In a bowl or cup, mix the sugar and cornstarch. Sprinkle into the blackberries and mix well. Return to heat and bring back to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Cook another 2 minutes, stirring, or until very thick and no longer opaque.
  2. Crust: Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8-inch square pan with non-stick spray and line with foil across the bottom and up each side, letting it slightly hang over the sides. Mix the chopped pecans, flour, cardamom, and sugar in a bowl. Add vanilla and softened butter; mix until crumbly. Press evenly in bottom of pan. Bake 25 minutes, or lightly browned on edges.
  3. Mascarpone Lemon Filling: While crust is baking, make filling by mixing mascarpone cheese, sugar, flour, and Eggland’s Best eggs, until smooth. whisk in lemon zest and juice.
  4. When the crust is browned on the edges, pull the oven rack out and pour the lemon mixture over the hot crust. Spoon the blackberry mixture into the filling in separate mounds, then lightly swirl with a spoon. Bake another 30-35 minutes, or until filling is starting to puff and doesn’t jiggle in the middle when moved/shaken.
  5. Cool completely in the pan, then remove with the foil liner.
  6. Before serving, muddle the basil and coarse sugar together and sprinkle over the top of the bars. Cut to the desired size for serving.

Nutrition

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Information per Serving
Serving Size 16
Calories 242
Fat 11.3g
Saturated Fat 5.8g
Cholesterol 57mg
Sodium 59mg
Carbohydrates 34.8g
Dietary Fiber 1g
Protein 2.9g