Well, yes, it’s been nearly two weeks since I posted anything. Let’s just say that lots of things are wrong, I am feeling a lot of complex feelings and while I am have been baking and cooking, it’s been a lot of “just the usual” things, without much fanfare.
But I had promised another rhubarb recipe, so here we have some Old Fashioned Oatmeal Rhubarb Bars. Rustic and simple, these are great for a dessert at a potluck picnic. Not too sweet.
Ingredients
For the rhubarb filling:
3 cups chopped rhubarb
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 heaping tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the base and topping
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cups (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Directions
Combine the chopped rhubarb, sugar, cornstarch, and a splash (tablespoon or so) water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat stirring frequently. Allow to cook for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is a cohesive jam and the rhubarb has softened (keep stirring occasionally while cooking). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract, then allow to cool for 10 minutes, until no longer hot and the mixture has thickened a little more.
Heat oven to 350F. Line a 9 x 11-inch baking pan with parchment paper or silpat. Spray lightly with baking spray.
Combine the ingredients for the crumb topping in a medium sized mixing bowl, mixing until only coarse crumbs remain. Press all but 1 cup of the oatmeal crumbs into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, ensuring no cracks remain. Pour the warm rhubarb filling over the oatmeal crumb base, then sprinkle the remaining crumbs over top.
Bake the rhubarb bars in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until golden on the bottom and the filling and crumb topping has set. Cool completely before cutting, then enjoy!
