As I promised yesterday, strawberry and rhubarb, the besotted bedfellows meet again--this time in a bar.
It's much more wholesome a story than the lead-in suggests: No tequila shots--just lots of oats, a modicum of sugar, and butter as a social lubricant.
The fact that they can be married entirely in just one pan?
The rosy beauties' perennial union is clearly written in the stars. We shall call them Strawbarb.
Far be it from me to upend the perfection of a strawberry rhubarb pie baked by grandma (the couple's master matchmaker), but when the season's end is running nigh and dessert is the new breakfast, sometimes you just need something that's easy to pick up and run away with.
Strawberry-rhubarb oat bars
Makes 16
Adapted from smitten kitchen (which was adapted from One Bowl Baking)
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- Heaping 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- Heaping 1/8 tsp. baking soda
- 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
- 1 cup rhubarb, small dice (from about 1-1/2 medium stalks)
- 1 cup strawberries, small dice
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Prepare your 8-in x 8-in baking pan by lining its bottom and two sides with parchment paper, nonstick foil, or absolutely nothing at all.
Add the oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, and baking soda straight into the baking pan and mix until incorporated. Pour the melted butter over top, stirring until the mixture clumps like wet sand.
Measure out a 1/2 cup of this delicious sand, set it aside, and then press and spread the rest evenly across the bottom of the pan.
Strew half the rhubarb and half the strawberries over the crust, sprinkle across the cornstarch, then the lemon juice, and half of the granulated sugar. The remaining fruit and granulated sugar goes on top next.
Crumble over the reserved oat mixture and then bake the bars until tanned and heavenly smelling, 30-35 minutes.
Set the pan on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting the bars into squares. Store them in an easy-snatch container in the fridge--if they make it that far.