I'm reposting this recipe for exactly one reason - I need to make it this week. It's a little past rhubarb o'clock, but I have faith that I'll be able to find some. It's been too long since it's sour joy mixed with something sweet made my day better.
And this recipe is a very good combo of sour and sweet.
Bonus! It's easy.
Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter (the "cold" part is important)
1 egg
Zest and juice of one lemon
2 pound fresh strawberries, sliced
2 cups fresh rhubarb, sliced (hint: smaller stalks are easier to cut and less "stringy")
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup white sugar
5 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup sliced almonds
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease a 9" x 13" glass pan.
3. In a large bowl, combine the one cup of sugar, baking powder, flour, and salt. Stir with a whisk until well combined.
4. Add the cold butter and egg.
5. Use a fork to cut the butter and egg into the flour mixture. When you get tired to trying to get the fork to do the trick, resort to using your hands. You want a crumbly mixture that doesn't have any large chunks of butter. Just keep squishing and you will win the battle. (I'm sure a food processor would do a great job of this, but I don't like food processors. I'm a rebel like that.)
6. Add the lemon zest. Stir it all up.
7. Smoosh half of the flour mixture into your 9" x 13" pan. If you are math challenged, half is about 2 1/2 cups of it. No need to be exact. Just get close.
8. Get out another large bowl. Put the 1/2 cup white sugar, almond extract, cornstarch, and lemon juice in there. Stir things up.
9. Add the strawberries and rhubarb then stir some more.
10. Spread the strawberry mixture over the crust in your 9" x 13" pan.
11. Add 1/2 cup of your sliced almonds to the remaining flour mixture you have sitting off to the side. Mix it all up.
12. Crumble the remaining flour mixture over top of the strawberries and rhubarb. There should be enough to completely hide the strawberries and their friends.
13. Sprinkle the remaining almonds over the top.
14. Bake at 375 degrees for about 50 minutes or until the top is very lightly browned.
15. Allow to cool before cutting.
16. Drown yourself in some strawberry rhubarb happiness. You've earned it.