Gluten Free Rhubarb Crisp Bars | Sweet & Tart Dessert

• servings: 9 servings
• active time: 20 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; click thru for appropriate blends)

1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)

1/4 cup cornstarch

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)

1 egg yolk (at room temperature)

1/4 cup all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; click thru for appropriate blends)

1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and cooled)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

8 ounces rhubarb stalks (cleaned and roughly chopped)

8 ounces fresh strawberries (cleaned, hulled, and roughly chopped)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square pan with crisscrossed sheets of unbleached parchment paper, each overhanging two opposite sides. Set the pan aside.

Make the crust.

In a large bowl, place the flour blend, xanthan gum, cornstarch, granulated sugar, and salt, and whisk to combine well.

Add the 12 tablespoons room temperature butter and the egg yolk, and mix to combine, using the back of a mixing spoon to moisten the flours in the butter. The mixture should come together as a soft dough and hold together when pressed in your palm.

Make the topping.

Remove about 3/4 cup (150 g) of the crust dough and transfer it to a medium-size bowl.

Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and the additional 1/4 cup (36 g) flour to the reserved dough.

Add the melted butter and vanilla, and mix to combine. This is the crumble topping.

Press it down to compact it, and place the bowl of crumble topping in the freezer to chill until firm (about 15 minutes).

Assemble the bars in the pan.

Scrape the remaining soft shortbread crust into the prepared square pan, and press into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top.

Scatter the chopped strawberries in an even layer on top of the raw dough in the pan.

Top with the chopped rhubarb, also in an even layer. Press down gently to help the fruit adhere.

Remove the crumble topping from the freezer, break it up into irregular clumps with a fork or with your fingers, and sprinkle it in an even layer on top of the fruit filling.

Bake and serve the bars.

Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven, and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is light brown in color and seems set, and the filling is bubbling.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool completely. Carefully remove the bars from the pan by the overhung parchment paper.

With a very sharp knife, slice into 9 equal pieces. The top half of the bars will be moist and will not set up rock hard because of the moisture in the fruit, but will hold together when handled carefully.