- 1 1/4 c. flour -- I use a 50/50 blend of all purpose and whole wheat
- 3/4 c. rolled oats -- I use the thick cut variety
- 1 c. packed brown sugar
- 1/2 c. canola oil
- 4 c. chopped rhubarb --approximately 1/4-1/2 inches long
- 1 c. sugar
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
- 1 c. water
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar and oil. Mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Press 1/2 of the mixture into a greased 9-inch pan. Arrange the chopped rhubarb over the crust.
Meanwhile, combine the sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan; whisk to combine. Add the water and vanilla extract and whisk again to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high; reduce the heat to medium and continue whisking the mixture until it reduces by about half and it reaches the consistency of corn syrup and has a clear, but caramel-like coloring. Pour the mixture over the rhubarb and sprinkle the top with the remaining crumb mixture.
Bake the bars for 45 minutes or until the crust is slightly hardened and the caramel mixture is bubbly. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely before serving. These bars are particularly good served with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream!
- Yields: 9 servings
- Preparation Time: 1 hour