Rhubarb Crumble Bars

Sorry I didn’t post this recipe last week like I promised, it was a busy holiday at out house. I hope you all had a relaxing 4th of July with your friends and family. Because we move around so often the 4th is typically a holiday that we spend alone so I’m thankful that we were able to spend the weekend with some of the friends that we’ve made. The highlight was definitely a hike from Muir Woods to Stinson Beach, my legs are still sore!

I tried this recipe for Rhubarb crumble bars for my husband’s birthday party and they were a hit. I modified a recipe from my buddy Ina, (I am more obsessed with her these days than ever). She made her bars with raspberry jam but I used my mom’s homemade rhubarb jam and they turned out great. It’s a super simple recipe with just a handful of ingredients that I am almost guarantee you have in your pantry right now.

Rhubarb Crumble Bars

Ingredients

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 to 12 ounces jam, I used rhubarb but you could use raspberry or blackberry
2/3 cup granola without dried fruit
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer, mix on medium speed just until combined. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla.
Sift the flour and salt together and, with the mixer on low, slowly add to the butter mixture, mixing until it almost comes together in a ball.
Turn the dough out on a board. Remove 1/3 or the dough for the topping.
Lightly pat the remaining two-thirds of the dough evenly on the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan and about 1/4-inch up the sides.
Spread with the jam, leaving a 1/4-inch border.
Mix the granola into the remaining dough with your hands. Break the dough into small bits and distribute it on top of the jam, covering most of the surface.
Sprinkle the almonds on top.
Bake the bars for 45 minutes, until lightly browned.
Cool completely and cut into 9 or 12 bars. Sprinkle lightly with confectioners’ sugar.