Strawberry Rhubarb Streusel Bars

by LEON BOUTEILLER

Strawberries and rhubarb are in full swing. There are many pairings that seem a perfect combination; this is one of them. The tart stems of the rhubarb plant (actually a vegetable) and the sweet and fragrant strawberries produce a taste greater than its parts. I always enjoyed fruited bars, like these, as much as cookies. They make a wonderful treat, a quick on the run breakfast or an after school snack. My mom would make date bars or raspberry bars with a crust or crumble. They contained oats and sometimes crushed walnuts. Today I make them with a shortbread bottom, a fruit middle layer and a streusel or crumble top. I also try to use whole grains whenever possible. I experimented and found that bars will not hold together without some all-purpose flour in the bottom crust recipe.

One of my goals is to create recipes that have as few steps possible. Many recipes, found in cookbooks and on-line, are unnecessarily complicated to achieve nuances that may not elevate the dish. These bars are a delicious treat that will keep for several days unless eaten as soon as they cool!

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB STREUSEL BARS

Special equipment:

One 9 x 13 baking pan; glass, ceramic or metal

Ingredients for the filling:

1 ½ cups fresh rhubarb cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 ½ cups fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped or sliced
½ cup natural sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped candied ginger
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon fine salt

Method for the filling:

Place all ingredients in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and stir well.
Place over medium heat and cook stirring occasionally until the mixture comes to a soft boil
Set the heat to low and simmer for another 5 minutes until it is very thick and translucent
Set aside to cool to room temperature

Ingredients for the crust and streusel:

1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup wheat germ
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 ½ sticks plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
¼ teaspoon salt

Method for the crust and streusel:

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and blend together on low speed until uniform in texture. Do not over mix or it will become more like a dough. It should be like a crumbly, pebble-like mixture. Alternatively, this can be done by hand in a bowl with a couple of forks or with your fingers
Butter well the bottom and sides of the baking pan
Press half of the mixture firmly into the bottom and part way up the sides of the pan
Spread the filling evenly over the bottom crust and then crumble the rest of the streusel over the top of the filling
Bake in a preheated 350F degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes until golden
Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan
Cut into approximately 2 inch squares or rectangles
You may find that putting the pan in the refrigerator for 30 minutes after it has cooled
will facilitate cutting and removing from the pan

These bars make a terrific treat. They’re good with a glass of milk or cup of coffee or tea. Warm them up and top them with a scoop of vanilla or strawberry ice cream for a quick dessert. You can follow the recipe and substitute blueberries or raspberries for a different take on this easy and delicious treat.

Enjoy!