Claudia came home this week from a stint in Saskatchewan. Of course, she couldn’t come back without bringing me something delicious from the garden. Yes, I received a huge delivery of ripe rhubarb. I love early summer for this reason alone. Rhubarb is so versatile and yet I often make the same recipe over and over again – Claudia’s delicious Strawberry Rhubarb Cake. That recipe is often served as a cobbler, warmed up with ice cream. I wanted to do something a little different with my latest delivery of rhubarb so I searched the Internet for inspiration. I found this recipe from Pink Parsley and immediately fell in love with it. These pie bars are absolutely amazing! The fruit filling is sweet and the crust is buttery and crumbly. Like most recipes I feature on the blog, it’s also extremely simple! I can’t wait to make more of these pie bars, as I still have a ton of rhubarb left!
You will need:
Crust and topping
3 cups flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Fruit Filling
4 eggs
1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup flour
pinch salt
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp vanilla
8 oz. strawberries, hulled and halved
8 oz. fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch slices
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
Pulse a few times to mix. Add butter cubes to the flour mixture.
Process until the butter is evenly distributed but the mixture is still crumbly, 30-60 seconds.
Reserve 2 cups of the dough crumbs for topping.
Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.
Bake in a 350 degree fahrenheit oven for 12-15 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes.
Now to make the delicious fruit filling!
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl.
Next add your sugar.
Then add your flour and salt.
Then, add your buttermilk.
And finally, add your vanilla.
Mix until completely combined.
Gently fold in the berries and rhubarb.
Pour the mixture over the cooled crust.
Ensure the strawberries and rhubarb are evenly spread out.
Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture evenly over the filling
Bake in a 350 degree fahrenheit oven for 55 to 65 minutes.
Cool at least 1 hour before cutting into bars.
These really do taste like summer.
So sweet and fruity.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from: Pink Parsley