Rhubarb & Strawberry Bars

Hi readers!  I've been on a hiatus for a little while but I'm back with an awesome recipe full of fresh summertime flavors.  As you know, I love using fresh ingredients from the garden.  My parents have an area near their garden that's full of rhubarb.  I had never baked with it until today, but now I think I've found a new inspiration for summer desserts.  In a previous post, I showed you how to make homemade strawberry jam.  This recipe uses that homemade jam. If you don't want to make it, you can substitute store bought jam.

Here is my new favorite recipe for rhubarb and strawberry dessert bars:

Ingredients:

Base & topping crumble:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 sticks cold butter

Filling:

2 cups chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup strawberry jam

Instructions:

Cut the cold butter into small pats.  Add this with all of the ingredients for the crumble into a bowl.  Use a pastry cutter to mix it and cut up the butter into smaller pieces.  Measure out one cup of this mixture and set it aside.  Take the rest of it and press it firmly into the bottom of a square baking pan (greased first of course.). Bake this at 375 for twenty minutes.

Now, while that's baking, we will make the filling. Peel the rhubarb. Dice up the rhubarb into small chunks.  Add the flour and brown sugar to this.  Mix until coated.  Now add the lemon juice, vanilla, and strawberry jam.  Stir until well combined. Simmer this mixture on the stove top for about five minutes, just to soften up the rhubarb.

When the base of the bars has baked, take it out and spread the filling mixture evenly onto it. Bake this at 350 for about twenty five minutes. When done, take this out and sprinkle the remaining crumble on top (the cup that you set aside earlier.) Bake for about fifteen more minutes.

Let these cool for about an hour before cutting them into squares.

Enjoy!