Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Bars
When you're craving the taste of summer but can't find the energy for a full day of pie making, these bars are easy peasy!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (80 grams) rolled oats
- 3/4 cup (95 grams) plus up to 2 tablespoons (15 grams) extra all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (95 grams) light brown sugar
- Heaped 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional, but helps firm up the filling)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 cup (125 grams) small-diced rhubarb (from about 1 1/2 medium stalks)
- 1 cup (155 grams) small-diced strawberries
- Powdered sugar, for decoration, if desired
Directions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F. For easy removal, line bottom and two sides of 8-by-8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
- Place oats, 3/4 cup flour, brown sugar and salt in a bowl and mix. Pour melted butter over, and stir until clumps form. If the clumps feel soft or look overly damp, add the remaining 2 tablespoons flour. Set aside 1/2 cup of the crumble mixture. Press the rest of the crumb mixture evenly in the bottom of the pan.
- In a separate bowl, combine the fruit, cornstarch, lemon juice and 1/2 tbsp sugar. Spread the fruit mixture over the crust, then sprinkle with the reserved crumble.
- Bake bars for 30 to 40 minutes (firmer fruits will take longer), until fruit is bubbly and crisp portion is golden and smells toasty and amazing.
- Let cool in pan; I do this in the fridge, where they become crisp once chilled (less so at room temperature). Cut into squares and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. Store leftovers in fridge.
Notes
- Did you know… you can freeze rhubarb! Clean the stems well and chop into 1/2” slices, then freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet until frozen through. Then store in a Ziploc bag until needed!
- Double this recipe for a 9 x 13 pan.
- While Deb makes this directly in the pan, I found it easier to use bowls. :)
Source: Smitten Kitchen