Tropical Escape Soft Pineapple Crumble Bars

Tags: Dessert
Yield: 12
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup sour cream (plain or vanilla Greek yogurt may be substituted)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- one 20-ounce can pineapple chunks, drained (fresh or frozen could likely be substituted)
- Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8×8-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- To a large bowl, add the butter, 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and optional salt. Using two forks or a pastry cutter, cut butter into dry ingredients until a sandy mixture with peas-sized buttery bits forms.
- Reserve 3/4 cup of this mixture; set aside.
- Transfer remaining mixture into prepared pan and using your fingertips or the back of a spatula, lightly press crumbs evenly into pan to form a crust.
- Bake for 10 minutes. While crust bakes, make the filling.
- In a large bowl (same one used to make the crust mixture is fine) add the egg, 1/2 cup sugar, sour cream, vanilla extract, 1/4 cup flour, and whisk until smooth; set aside.
- Remove crust from oven and top evenly with pineapple chunks. About 90% of the surface area will be covered with pineapple; chunks will be very close to each other but not quite touching.
- Carefully and evenly pour the sour cream mixture over the pineapple, making sure to get it into the corners.
- Evenly sprinkle the reserved crust mixture over the top to create the crumble topping.
- Bake for about 35 minutes, or until edges and top are set. Place pan on top of a wire rack and allow bars to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving. Bars will keep airtight at room temp for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. If you keep them covered and as time passes, the topping becomes softer, less pebbley, and looks less like a true crumble topping due to the overall moisture level in the bars from the juicy pineapple.