Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars

Deliciousness!!! I've never cooked or baked with rhubarb before, and this was a pleasant surprise. I don't know if it'll still be in season once I get the kitchen at our temp apartment set up, and I don't know how much time I'll have, so I almost think I won't be baking with rhubarb until next year. Sigh. The original recipe calls for a glaze, I'm so glad I didn't add it. I think with the glaze it would have been sweetness overload. I also substituted about 1/3 of the flour with whole wheat flour. Given the amount of butter, I think I'll try using only whole wheat flour next time.

Recipe from Le Petit Pierogi who used a recipe from Land O'Lakes

Filling Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Crust Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (6.4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
1 cup (7.5 ounces) firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Drizzle Ingredients: (omitted)

3/4 cup (6 ounces) powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Combine rhubarb, strawberries and lemon juice in 2-quart saucepan. Cover; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fruit is tender (8 to 12 minutes).

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch in small bowl. Stir into fruit mixture. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil (about 1 minute). Continue boiling until thickened (1 minute). Remove from heat. Set aside.

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all crust ingredients in large bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Spread filling over crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.

Combine all drizzle ingredients in small bowl. Drizzle over cooled bars. Cut into bars.

Preparation time: 30 min Baking time: 30 min Yield: 36 bars