Easy to prepare and ideal for transporting to your Memorial Day picnic, these bars celebrate the marriage of sweet strawberries and tangy rhubarb. You can skip browning the butter if you’re short on time, but we love the nutty flavor alongside crumbly oats.
Ingredients
for the crumb layer
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups rolled old fashioned oats
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
for the filling
1 3/4 cups hulled and diced strawberries
1 1/2 cups diced rhubarb, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare the crumb layer: Preheat oven to 350 degrees ℉. Butter a 9 by 9-inch baking dish and line with parchment paper, butter parchment.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add in oats, brown sugar and granulated sugar and whisk to blend, while using fingertips to break up small clumps of brown sugar.
- In a skillet over medium-low heat, cook butter, stirring occasionally with a heat-proof spatula until it starts to foam, turns a deep golden brown and develops a nutty aroma, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk vanilla into melted butter then pour over oat mixture. Stir with a spatula until mixture is evenly moistened.
- Using a spatula, press 2/3 of the mixture into the prepared baking dish, setting aside remaining 1/3.
- Prepare the filling: Add diced strawberries and rhubarb to a medium mixing bowl. Toss with lemon juice.
- Add sugar and cornstarch to rhubarb mixture and toss to coat.
- Evenly spread rhubarb mixture over the bottom crumb layer in baking dish. Evenly sprinkle remaining 1/3 crumb mixture over top.
- Bake in preheated oven until top is golden brown and crisp and filling is bubbling, about 50-60 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack, then cut into squares and serve.
