I'm a pie girl. I love pie so much that I served it at my wedding instead of cake. And I'm not the only one. My colleagues at Epi have waxed on the pleasures of cream pie, written love letters to tart cherry pie, and subjected us all to sweet, brain-freezing pain with Mini Frozen Key Lime Pies—and that was in July alone. You should see us at Thanksgiving.

Traditional pie is something I never get tired of (this Brown-Butter Pecan Pie is one of my all-time favorites), but I'm also always on the lookout for new ways to make and eat pie. Bar cookies are the ultimate summer cookout dessert because they're portable and easy to eat while holding a burger or hot dog in your other hand. And pie especially shines in the summer months when many fruits are at their peak. My brand new Mixed Berry Pie Bars were a result of wondering what would happen if I combined both into one decadent, handheld dessert.

These beauties look a lot like regular pie (especially with that adorable lattice crust), but are baked in an 8x8" square baking dish. The trick is getting the ratio of crust to filling just right. A slice of good fruit pie is usually brimming with juicy peaches, berries, or apples (to name a few), but a pie that can be eaten with your hands requires a more concentrated filling. That's why I took a cue from these Strawberry Buckwheat Bars and added some preserves to the filling and cooked the fruit a bit before baking to thicken it up. Cornstarch helped in this area too, which is my thickener of choice with fruit pies to guarantee a glossy (not cloudy) center. In a nod to slab pie, I used a little less fruit than a classic pie, which makes these cookies easier to eat with one hand.

Easy as pie! Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone

Of course, all pie lovers know that good pie isn't just about the filling; the crust is a major player, too. I obsessively tested pie dough recipes to find the ideal crust, and this crust works beautifully for these pie bars. To ensure a sturdy (that is, never soggy) bottom crust, start the pie in a hot oven and place it on a preheated rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rung. That way, the bottom crust gets a quick boost of heat to help it brown nicely, so it ends up as crispy as a cookie—and just as hand-held.