Rhubarb. I'm sure I had it in a pie paired with strawberries in my youth. Not my
favorite but my hubby not-so-secretly lusts for pies so we gave the recipe from
hoped for but overall not bad.
Still oh-so-hopeful as I brushed on the egg wash.
And even while it was baking. Although you can start to see the pond of juice forming.
When it was baked and had cooled for a couple of hours to hopefully firm up, (never
happened) I removed at least a fourth cup of juice and 3 slices. You know, to taste.
It finally started to look more like what I'd hoped for. Except for the soggy lattice at the
top. Next time I'd use more cornstarch or drain the juice after the fruit had been sugared
and setting for a bit. Still quite yummy in the flavor department although not exactly a
feast for the eyes.
While someone else (ahem) has eaten all but one slice of pie, I've been saving my appetite /
calories for these delicious looking Almond Rhubarb Picnic Bars instead. Amazing just how
much pie can disappear when someone "neatens up" the edges. Does this happen at your
house too? My husband is an expert in this area. And not just self-proclaimed. I learned that
he is guilty of the same behavior in the office kitchen.
Moving on . . . it proved a little difficult to locate fresh rhubarb here this time of year but when
I did, I couldn't wait to give these a try. The chevron pattern intrigued me and I love the blend
from light green to deep pink. Here's a shot of the original recipe by Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen.
My bars weren't so lucky. The recipe said to top the baked bars with either powdered sugar
or jelly. I ended up choosing seedless strawberry jam since nearly all of the color baked out
of the rhubarb and ended up being more monochromatic than the gentle ombre in the original.
You can see one outburst of red in the lower corner and hints of green but the jam was really
the only other option to try and bring some color back to the plate.
Hubby is on his way home so we'll wait to give them a try so he can properly neaten
up those squares. We'll let you know how they stood up to his taste test!
Pretty certain he won't even notice the color or lack thereof. Stay tuned . . .
xoxo,
Deborah
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