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Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumb Bars

7/8/2015

This was taken (with some very heavy adaptations) from an idea on Cooking.com. However, I found quite a few problems with the original recipe after eyeballing the ingredients, so I played around with the proportions just going by previous experience of what recipes for my rhubarb pie and other crumbles called for. In the end, the first attempt was probably a B+, but it wouldn't take much to get it into the A range on the second try!

Base and crumble topping:

8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed
1.25 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Fruit mixture:

2 cups chopped rhubarb
1.5 cups chopped strawberries
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 x 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, blend the base ingredients together with a fork or your fingers until the butter is no longer visible and the mixture is loose and crumbly. Transfer about 3/4 of the mixture to the prepared pan. Use your fingers or a measuring cup to press the mixture into an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
In another medium bowl, stir the rhubarb, strawberry, cornstarch and sugar together. Pour into the pan. Crumble the remaining base mixture on top of the fruit.
Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven. Let cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing into pieces.

Note: The flavors tend to take time to blend together. It will taste different the next day, but the crumble may not be as fresh and crispy due to the liquids in the center. So, it's best to enjoy it the day-of, but allow it time to sit and settle.

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Blueberry Custard Pie or Tart

7/3/2015

This was adapted from a Country Living recipe. The first attempt was both weirdly my least-favorite but my family's most-favorite baking attempt ever - I simply could not get over the weird snot-thick consistency of the blueberry topping that came from the original recipe's 3 tbsp of cornstarch, though my father and brother literally gobbled up over half the tart in the space of a morning. A second try not only improved the texture but the appearance considerably, and after substituting lactose-free milk for whole milk, I was also able to enjoy it tablet free! With the sweetness dialed down somewhat and a few extra steps added to improve custard and topping consistency, the second one disappeared nearly as quickly as the first.

1 graham cracker crust, either store-bought or hand-made

The custard:

1.25 cups whole milk
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp unsalted butter

The blueberry topping:

4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
1.5 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cups water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp butter

In a saucepan, cook the milk, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in vanilla and butter. Transfer custard to a shallow dish to cool.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, mix 1 cup of blueberries with sugar over medium to high heat. Stir occasionally, until the blueberries start to soften and burst and become a slurry. Mix the cornstarch into the water, then pour into the saucepan. Bring to a boil while continuing to stir, until the mixture thickens. Stir in lemon juice and butter, then remove from heat and let cool. Gently stir in remaining 3 cups of berries.
Once the custard is near room temperature, spread it into the bottom of the graham cracker crust. Top with the berry mixture and refrigerate until set.

Note: If you're going to use lactose-free milk instead of whole milk, you might want to dial down the sugar amount for the custard slightly, as lactose-free milk tends to be sweeter. The filling can be made a day ahead and refrigerated separately. To prevent the custard from forming a film, press cling film all over the surface.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumb Bars

Blueberry Custard Pie or Tart

Sweet Enough

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