6.12.15 Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars
For what feels like forever, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the beginning of strawberry season. And now that it’s here, I don’t ever want it to end. This is the one time of year that these little red berries are at their prime. Sweet and summery and juicy - I can’t get enough of them. I don’t even want to tell you how many pints (okay, more like quarts) of berries I’ve procured at the market, only to find that they never even come close to making it back to my kitchen.
I’ve found that actually cooking with strawberries can be a challenge for this very reason. After all of the berry snacking that goes on, there’s usually almost nothing left over to work with. But every once in a while, I have enough berries that, even with my enormous propensity to eat them, like, immediately, there are a few left over to experiment with in the kitchen. It’s a good thing too, because otherwise, I never would have made these strawberry rhubarb crumb bars.
Strawberries and rhubarb are the perfect pair. One super sweet, one terrifically tart; they balance each other perfectly. When you put them both together, you end up with a wonderful, brilliantly red, sweet-and-sour combo. It’s perfect in many ways, but lately I’ve been enjoying it in bar form, sandwiched between sweet buttery layers of crumbly crust. Served straight up, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this is my kind of summer dessert.
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars
makes about 12 bars
crumb crust:
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) cold butter
- 1 egg yolk
filling:
- 1 ½ cups hulled and chopped strawberries
- 1 cup chopped rhubarb
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9 x 9 baking pan (an 8 x 8 pan will work as well).
2. Start by making the crumb crust. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
3. Cut the butter into small pieces, and use forks, a pastry cutter, or your hands to work the butter into the flour mixture until a grainy texture is achieved. Add the egg yolk, and mix until dough starts to come together in a big clump (dough will be crumbly).
4. For the filling, combine all of the filling ingredients in a bowl and stir together until evenly mixed.
5. Press half of the crust dough into the bottom of the pan, making sure it is covered evenly. Top bottom crust evenly with the fruit filling, then crumble the rest of the dough evenly over the top.
6. Bake bars until top is golden brown and filling is bubbling, about 35-40 minutes. Cool bars slightly, cut into squares, and serve.
