Instructions

1. Combine cold butter and flour in a mixing bowl, using a ratio of 3 parts flour to 2 parts butter. Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter, or you can blend them with a food processor. If you don't have either of these tools, simply hold two basic dinner knives together to cut the butter into the flour as finely as possible.

2. Use the tips of your fingers to manipulate the flour and the finely cut butter into a crumbled mixture.

3. Stir in 1 part sugar without smashing the mixture to keep it crumbly. Continue to manipulate with your fingers if necessary to keep the crumbly texture. Store the crumb mixture in the refrigerator to help it maintain its texture while you prepare the rest of the dessert bar.

4. Press your dessert bar crust into the bottom of a square baking pan that you have greased with vegetable oil. Most dessert bar recipes that call for a shortbread crumb topping also use shortbread for the crust as well. If you plan to do so, make enough of the shortbread mixture that you can use half for the crust and half for the topping.

5. Pour your dessert bar filling on top of the crust in an even layer. Many shortbread dessert bar recipes include a prepared or homemade fruit jam or spread. You can use any type of fruit filling, such as lemon, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry and apple. You can also opt for a non-fruit filling, such as peanut butter, caramel, chocolate, or hazelnut spread, if you prefer.

6. Spread the shortbread crumble mixture evenly over top of the fruit filling. Bake the dessert bar in an oven preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Baking time will vary depending on your filling and the size of your baking pan, but it should take roughly between 30 and 45 minutes to bake through. The crumble topping should be golden brown when done. Let it cool completely in the pan before cutting the dessert into bite-sized bars.