I hadn’t baked in a few weeks so I thought I’d come back onto the sweet-treat scene with a tart, fruity, creamy, crunchy dessert that I had for the first time when my friend Lauren of Coloring the City brought her version into work. She adapted her recipe from The Quinces and the Pea’s Rhubarb Bars.The photos truly don’t do this delectable dessert justice.

Below is Lauren’s edited version of the original recipe with a few minor changes from me as well!

Ingredients:

Crust:
-12 tblspns unsalted butter
-2 cups all-purpose flour
-2/3 cup powdered sugar
-Zest from half of a lemon

Filling:
-1 3/4 cup rhubarb compote puree* (see below)
-1 tblspn cup lemon juice
-1/2 cup organic cane sugar
-5 eggs, lightly beaten
-2 tblspns cornstarch

-Powdered sugar for topping

* Strawberry Rhubarb Puree
– 2 cups of rhubarb, sliced into half-inch slices
– 2 cups strawberries, cut in half
– 3/4 cup organic cane sugar

Directions:
-Mix strawberries, rhubarb, and sugar in saucepan and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves
-Continue simmering for about 8-10 minutes until rhubarb and strawberries become mushy.
-Remove from heat and cool
-Blend in blender to puree the mixture.
-Set aside.

Directions:
-Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13 inch baking pan.
-In a food processor (or Vitamix) combine butter, flour, powdered sugar and lemon zest.
-Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
-Press into baking dish.
-Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
-While refrigerating, preheat oven to 350
-Remove crust from refrigerator and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until crust is just barely starting to brown.

-While crust is baking, prepare the filling by whisking together rhubarb compote, lemon juice, sugar, eggs and cornstarch.
-Whisk thoroughly.
-After you remove crust from oven, reduce heat to 325 and pour filling over the crust
-Bake at 325 for about 25 minutes until filling is set.
-Remove from oven, cool completely.
-Slice into squares and top with powdered sugar.
-Enjoy!