The fam and I took a walk in the back yard tonight, and I found that the rhubarb is much bigger up close than it looks from the kitchen window. I really need to make some rhubarb barbs (aka rhubarb bars). I used to make these with my Grammy when she’d come to take care of me when my parents were busy. I like to use my site as a reference for recipes, so here it is for my future search purposes.

This isn’t exactly the recipe we used in the old days, but it’s close. I find my grown-up tastes prefer butter to shortening in the crust, and I skip the Jell-o from the original.

I could seriously eat a whole pan of these.

Rhubarb Barbs

Crust and topping:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, divided
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup brown sugar

Filling

• 1/4 cup water
• 2 T cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cup sugar (you may need a little more sugar if you don’t like tart-flavored things)
• 4 cups rhubarb, chopped into about 1/2″ pieces
• 1 tsp. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Mix cornstarch and water. Add granulated sugar and rhubarb. Cook in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until thick. Cool slightly and add vanilla.
3. In a food processor, pulse together flour, baking soda, brown sugar, salt, and 3/4 cup of the oats a few times to combine. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Remove from food processor and stir in remaining 3/4 cup oats.
5. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Pat 2/3 of the mixture into the dish and press down to form the crust. Spread cooled rhubarb mixture over crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs on top.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes until light golden brown.