Rhubarb Berry Crumb Bars

Placing the finished bars in cupcake liners made them easy to serve.

I made these Rhubarb Berry Crumb bars to sell at the Springsteen Tribute Concert and they were so easy and such a hit that I have to share the recipe.

I found a recipe called Blueberry Crumb Bars online on the allrecipes.com site. The recipe was rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and there was a note at the top that said "you can use any berry you like." I love a tried and true and versatile recipe.

Because I added a healthy dose of tart rhubarb to the recipe thanks to my sister's jumbo rhubarb crop, I increased the sugar in the filling mixture by 1/4 cup and the cornstarch by 1 teaspoon. I also added a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a pinch of sea salt which I believe enhances the flavor of rhubarb.

Rhubarb Berry Crumb Bars

Crumb Mixture:
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups flour
1 cup shortening
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Filling:
3 cups berries (I used a combination of blueberry, raspberry and blackberry and frozen works just fine)
1 cup rhubarb, finely diced
3/4 cup sugar
4 heaping teaspoons cornstarch
pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.

In a medium sized bowl make the crumb mixture by combining the sugar, baking powder, flour and cinnamon. Add the shortening and break it into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. I like to use my fingers to do this. Add the egg, mix well and set aside.

In another bowl, make filling by adding all the ingredients and mixing well.

To Assemble:
Press half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of the greased pan. Spread the filling evenly over the bottom layer. Crumble the remaining crumb mixture evenly over the filling layer.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the top is slightly brown and the filling is bubbling. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Be sure to let the bars cool completely before cutting.