Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars

Hooray for rhubarb season! Besides lemons, fennel and artichokes, nothing screams springtime more than rhubarb. We absolutely cannot let the season pass by without helping ourselves to the ultimate pie plant. Although not normally eaten on its own, rhubarb when combined with strawberries is one exquisite combination. With the intense tartness of the rhubarb balanced by the sweetness of the strawberries, you could almost say they’re a match made in heaven. You’ll find this wonderful pairing in many desserts such as Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble, Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins and more. For this week’s celebration of all things rhubarb, we bring you something a little more portable–Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars! Its crisp, buttery top and bottom layer combined with the sweet-sour and jammy filling makes these scrumptious, little treats are one of our all-time favorite springtime snacks! With such simple ingredients, these bars are as easy-as-pie to put together. Make them with the kids as a fun weekend project and have them enjoy throughout the week as a dessert of after-school treat.

Rhubarb may be a vegetable but it’s often eaten as a fruit. This springtime favorite is not usually eaten raw and is used with only its stalks, which resemble crisp, crunchy celery. It has a tart flavor that when combined with other sweet fruits such as strawberries and cooked with plenty of sugar becomes quite a marvelous treat. The texture holds up well during the cooking process making it a popular addition to baking recipes. It’s not only a pie-worthy ingredient but can also be added diced to muffins and cakes or used in sauces to flavor meat, poultry and fish. When selecting your rhubarb, make sure to look for thin, crisp stalks with good red coloring and fresh-looking, blemish-free leaves.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars

Yields: 24 bars

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cups of rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 and 1/2 cups of strawberries, sliced
• 1 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 and 1/2 cups of rolled oats
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 3/4 cup of unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup of white granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

1. Begin by cooking the fruit together. In a saucepan, combine the strawberries, rhubarb and lemon juice and cook over medium heat for around 10 to 12 minutes.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the white sugar and corn starch. Then add it to the fruit. Cook for another couple of minutes making sure to stir constantly until the mixture is thickened.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is preheating, use a mixer at low speed to mix together the dry ingredients of all-purpose flour, oats, brown sugar, butter, baking soda and salt.

4. Grease a 13×9-inch baking pan. Take about half of the crumb mixture and press it along the bottom of the pan. Spread the filling on top. Then add another layer of the remaining crumb mixture.

5. Bake for around 30 to 35 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the crumb golden brown.

6. Remove from the oven to cool to room temperature for at least an hour to an hour and half before cutting.