Rhubarb Crumble Bars
I trialled this recipe at least 4 years ago. Maybe even longer. The results were good, and so I quickly scrawled down my ingredients, quantities and any tweaks on a scrap of paper, with the full intention of copying up in neat and making them again. This scrap of paper was left forgotten in a pile of other miscellaneous papers, but after our trip to the Yorkshire Triangle and returning home with a massive rhubarb haul, I was inspired to dig it out.
Ingredients
Crumble
250g flour
80g sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
125g butter
1 egg
Filling
300g rhubarb
50g caster sugar
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp ground ginger
Pinch of salt
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
- Make the crumble in the usual way, lightly using your fingers and thumbs to flake the butter and flour together until they resemble rough breadcrumbs. Don't go too far, as a fine crumb won't look as good.
- Stir in the baking powder, sugar and ground ginger, then mix in the egg.
- For the filling, chop up the rhubarb in to 2cm pieces, and place in a heavy bottomed saucepan with the caster sugar and water. Give the mixture a stir, then cover and place the pan on a low heat, stirring occasionally. The rhubarb is done when it becomes tender and just starting to break down.
- Remove the rhubarb from the pan and set aside, retaining all the pink syrup in the pan. Reduce this for a further 5 minutes, then add the ginger, salt and flour, and finally the stewed rhubarb. Give it a stir, then remove from the heat.
You could also add a little fresh grated ginger to the mixture if you want more of a ginger flavour.
- Divide your crumble mixture in half, and press one half in to the bottom of a 9 inch square, lined and greased baking tin.
- Next, top the flattened base with the rhubarb mixture, spreading it in an even-ish layer to the edges.
- Finally, top the rhubarb with the remaining crumble mixture and bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
- Leave to cool before cutting in to squares.
