Every once in awhile, I threaten (myself!) to just chuck out all the loose recipes I have stashed away to try “some day”. Keeping them organized is a pain. And nobody pays me any attention any more as I’m sifting through the pile, frustrated and mumbling under my breath, unable to find a recipe I know I saved. (whine…)
But then…I wouldn’t be able to enjoy and share some pretty wonderful recipes that have caught my eye over the years. Like these Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars that I first saw (3 years ago) in that little magazine of Martha’s called Everyday Food.
I think strawberries are just the perfect rhubarb partner, and can’t let spring go by without making Rhubarb-Berry Crumbles and Old-Fashioned Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, two desserts that I often get recipe requests for. And now I’m so happy to add these beautiful bars to my list of spring must-makes. Our daughters absolutely loved them! I even heard whining when they realized the bars had all disappeared…
Ingredients
- 1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted, plus room temperature butter for pan
- 3/4 c. packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 lb. rhubarb, cut into 1/2'' pieces
- 1/2 lb. strawberries, hulled and sliced 1/4" thick
- 2 T. light brown sugar
- 1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour, divided
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 3/4 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1-1/2 c. powdered sugar, plus more for dusting finished bars
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 9'' square baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2'' overhang on 2 sides. Butter and flour parchment paper and pan, tapping out the excess flour. Set aside.
Whisk together the butter, brown sugar, and salt. Add flour and mix with a fork until large crumbs form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
In a medium bowl, combine rhubarb, strawberries, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup of the flour. In another medium bowl, whisk the remaining 1-1/4 cup of flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. With mixer on low, beat in vanilla, then flour mixture. Spread batter in prepared pan. Top with rhubarb and strawberry mixture, then top with prepared streusel. If you like to have some of the pretty red of the rhubarb and strawberries show on top (I do!), poke a few pieces up through the streusel.
Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a bit of moist crumbs attached, about 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool completely in pan. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and, using the parchment paper overhang, lift cake from pan. Cut into bars and dust with powdered sugar. Serve as is, or with some freshly whipped and sweetened cream...so lovely!
Source
Heavily adapted from Everyday Food magazine, May 2009.
Hungry for more rhubarb recipes?
Check out a couple very special family recipes:
Grandma Renelt’s Rhubarb Custard Pie
Loree’s Rhubarb Nut Coffee Cake
I love everything about this cake – - the sponge like base, the burst of colour and then the sweet tender crumbs… Im having sweet fantasies just thinking about it
delicious!!
Living The Sweet Life recently posted..Thank You for being SO Fantastically-Amazing
Thank you!
I’m SUCH a sucker for rhubarb! I can’t wait to get my hands on some this season! These look absolutely delicious.
Laurie Jesch-Kulseth @ Relishing It recently posted..Homemade Yogurt
Hi Laurie! It took me many years to appreciate rhubarb. I always thought Mom (I know she’ll be reading this comment…) was crazy when I was kid, for her love of it. Now I find myself checking on the rhubarb plant, waiting for it to be ready to use! Do you have a plant? If not, if our paths cross this spring, I’d love to give you some!
I love, love, love rhubarb! Oftentimes I think strawberries just take away from the rhubarb (again, I love rhubarb) but these bars look positively scrumptious.
These bars can be made sans strawberries, too. Just double the rhubarb!
where did u find the rhubarb??? lovely post!
Hi Amanda! I broke down and bought some…have never bought rhubarb before! Over the past week, though, my plant has really stretched out, with a few stalks over 6″ long already. If I think we’ll bump into each other this spring, I could surely bring you some. I bet you preserve it?!
Oh my gosh, if you had extra I would love some! I love to preserve it – I have a rhubarb salsa and a rhubarb strawberry mint jam that i make that i would definitely swap with you!
Amanda KP recently posted..Roasted Cauliflower and Grapes with Rosemary
I love crumb bars, Brenda, anything that has streusel topping just calls my name. These look fabulous!
What gorgeous looking crumb bars. I also have a huge list of recipes that I hope try out some day which are all lined up in an excel sheet, but it’s slowly being transferred to Pinterest – makes life so much easier!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious recently posted..Stovetop Butternut Macaroni and Cheese
Thank you, Chung-Ah! I like your idea of using Pinterest!
I just made a similar bar. We have four rhubarb plants so I am always trying new rhubarb recipes!
Maria recently posted..Biscoff Pretzel Bites with White Chocolate
Wow, that’s ALOT of rhubarb!
I’ve never had rhubarb before, but these bars look absolutely amazing. The cake part looks so buttery and moist. The strawberries and rhubarb contast so perfectly against that yellow cake layer. It looks like spring
Becca – Cookie Jar Treats recently posted..Gooey Lemon Brownies
If you like tart, rhubarb is it! Sweet strawberries are the perfect partner.
oh these look great, I just love the colors and that YUMMY crumb topping!
Diane {Created by Diane} recently posted..cheesecake cookies perfect for a picnic (picnic for the planet)
Strawberries and rhubarb are such a great combination and I can’t stop thinking about that crumb topping!
Kathryn recently posted..hazelnut butter & buckwheat flour chocolate chip cookies
If those bars taste half as good as they look……oh man I can’t wait to make this recipe. It is 7:29 am and seeing this post woke me up more than my coffee! Thanks!
Thank YOU!!
I love adding rhubarb to bars like this! Yum!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar recently posted..Gingerbread Granola
Brenda, these are absolutely beautiful. I’ve never been a big rhubarb fan, but with strawberries I know I could do it, and I haven’t gone near rhubarb in years. It’s time to begin anew! I can’t get over how gorgeous these are and I know they taste just as good! Evernoted!! (My mom will love me if I surprise her with these next weekend!)
Cindy @ Once Upon a Loaf recently posted..Pesto Parmesan Dinner Rolls
Rhubarb and strawberries are a delicious – and very pretty – combo. You can do it…you can do it…you can do it!
These bars look fantastic and beautiful, too. I am totally adding them to my “must try list”.
Natalie @ Cooking for My Kids recently posted..Sweet Nephew of Mine
This is gorgeous girl!!! I love to see your blog exploding… I am seeing your stuff everywhere! It is AWESOME that you are getting the recognition you deserve… your talent is unequaled!
Amanda recently posted..Red Velvet Sugar Cookies
Hello my dear friend, thank you so much!
These look fantastic. I never thought to put rhubarb in my crumb bars before. I love crumb bars, so I’ll be trying these out soon!
Thank you, hope you like them, too!
Have you ever tried scanning the loose recipes and saving to a “cookbook” on your computer. It’s not real pretty, but better than a pile of clippings on your desk. I usually save them with the first word as the section of cookbook you want it to go under: such as: PORK, COOKIE, etc then adding the name of the recipe. It helps keep them sorted.
I like that idea. I might have to hire my daughters for some PT summer help, though!!
Good thing you didn’t throw out the recipe! Your crumb bars look great. I have never baked with rhubarb but am determined to do so soon. Anything with a streusel topping is very appealing to me and I’d love to enjoy a square with coffee!
Julia {The Roasted Root} recently posted..Seared Ahi Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
Excellent with coffee!!
Oh god these look absolutley amazing!!!!!! My Nan always used to make rubharb crumble so it reminds me of those days. This will be one for the weekend!
Harriet recently posted..Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus
Let me know what you think, Harriet!
I went to the supermarket today and there was no rubharb! Do you think these would work with apples or pears instead?
Harriet recently posted..Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus
Wow, these look so pretty! I absolutely love the crumb topping!
Jen @ Jen’s Favorite Cookies recently posted..Iced Oatmeal Cookies
Thank you, Jen!
I’ve never made a crumb cake with Rhubarb, only ice cream and it was delicious. This looks so good and the recipe sounds easy. I’m saving this to try sometime soon.
Thanks for sharing.
Vicki Bensinger recently posted..Kitchen Facial
Rhubarb ice cream? Hmmmm…haven’t had that before. Sounds delicious with cream, though! So nice to hear from you again, Vicki.
I am still not a big fan of rhubarb and this is the second post this week I’ve seen with these bars. I have to tell you what I told the other blogger and friend, that paired with the strawberries I’m sure I could learn to love it. Beautiful looking dessert Brenda.
Paula recently posted..Ottawa Senators – More Than Just Great Hockey Players
If you’re especially not thrilled about rhubarb in the first place, a good place to start is pairing it with strawberries. I like it with strawberries or without, but the berries add sweetness and prettiness.
we had something similar to this at school today… but yours looks SO MUCH BETTER!! i want this noowww
Yum! I love rhubarb! It’s been such a long time since I’ve had any. My mom used to grow it in the garden, but we’ve moved far south, and now I’m not even sure it grows here. You have me pining for it though. . . . I know I’ve seen packs of it at the grocery store. I’ll have to check! Thanks for bringing back a “retro” recipe from your pile – I have the same situation going on in my kitchen drawer!
Hi Brenda,
I just saw your crumb bars on Tasty Kitchen and had to pop over to tell you how beautiful they are! I’ve never met a crumb bar I didn’t love, and I could easily go for one right now with my morning coffee
.
Just started peeking around your blog and it looks lovely so I can’t wait to dive in!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) recently posted..strawberry biscuits
Just gorgeous! Strawberry Rhubarb is one of my favorite desserts. I love that you made this into a coffee cake – must try!
Abby recently posted..Earth Week – Problems with Plastics
These look so delicious! It’s certainly time for strawberry and rhurbarb anything!
meatballs & milkshakes recently posted..Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
Made it! Can wait to eat it now.
Absolutely amazing… never though that rhubarb could be that sweet! I have learnt a new thing now and is not willing to stop soon. Thanks:)
John Terry recently posted..100% Blonde Jokes
Excellent! I want to bake a brownies like this ,its so yummy!
Mark D.French recently posted..Toffee Cheesecake with Chocolate Polka Dots
I’ve never cooked with rhubard before, but my stepfather has a ton in his garden during the spring. I’ll have to steal some and make these. Thanks for the recipe!