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5 from 1 vote

Rhubarb Bars

Rhubarb Bars are the epitome of Spring! Bright and tangy rhubarb curd with a touch of ginger gets layered on top of a buttery shortbread crust and topped with a silky Swiss meringue. It is sweet, tart, and buttery all in one delicious bar.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Chill Time4 hours
Total Time5 hours 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, French
Servings: 9 bars
Calories: 330kcal

Equipment

  • 8x8 inch pan
  • Food processor or blender
  • Stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachment (or hand mixer)
  • Fine mesh sieve

Ingredients

Rhubarb Puree

  • 3 cups fresh rhubarb chopped
  • cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 teaspoons ginger freshly grated or minced

Shortbread

  • ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

Rhubarb Curd

  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • 1 cup rhubarb puree from cooked rhubarb (above)
  • Red/pink food coloring optional

Swiss Meringue (optional)

  • 1 egg white from a large egg
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • pinch kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

Instructions

Rhubarb Puree

  • Clean & chop the rhubarb and add to a pot with the sugar and water. Heat over medium until the rhubarb is completely soft and broken down, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger in the last few minutes of cooking.
    3 cups fresh rhubarb, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup water, 2 teaspoons ginger
  • Transfer the rhubarb to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Pass the puree through a fine mesh sieve to get rid of any thick pulp. Scrape off the bottom of the sieve to get all puree. Measure out one cup (~380g) of the puree for the curd and set aside.
  • Grease and line an 8x8-inch square pan with parchment slings and preheat the oven to 350℉.

Shortbread

  • In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar for about 3 minutes on medium speed, then add the vanilla, salt and flour.
    ½ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • Press the mixture into the pan as evenly as possible, being sure to get it into the corners and sides (it will be very soft). Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven.

Rhubarb Curd

  • While the crust is baking, sift together the sugar and flour, then add the eggs, lemon, and rhubarb puree.
    ¾ cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 3 large eggs, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 cup rhubarb puree
  • Note: Add red or pink food coloring to brighten up the curd (you can also use freeze-dried strawberry or raspberry powder to do this naturally), as the addition of eggs flattens the color considerably.
    Red/pink food coloring
  • Pour the curd over the partially baked crust, then bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until the curd is completely set in the center (a very slight jiggle is ok, but it shouldn’t be sloshy). Test this by tapping the side of the pan.
  • Allow the bars to cool on a wire rack (about 1 hour), then transfer to the fridge for an additional 3 hours to fully chill and set.

Swiss Meringue (optional)

  • To make the meringue, fill a saucepan with about 1 inch of water and turn to high heat. Add a heat proof bowl over top that fits securely. You don’t want any of the water touching the bottom of the bowl.
  • To the bowl, add the egg white, sugar, and salt and whisk to combine. Continue lightly whisking until the mixture is warm and the sugar granules have dissolved. Check this by rubbing your fingers together in the mixture. It should feel completely smooth - if you can still feel sugar granules, continue cooking. If you have a thermometer, cook it to around 160℉. It should feel rather warm, but not hot.
    1 egg white, ¼ cup granulated sugar, pinch kosher salt
  • One the mixture is ready, add it to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a handheld mixer) and whip on medium speed for about a minute. Turn to high speed and whip until stiff peaks form. Once the meringue hits stiff peaks, add the vanilla, then mix once more to combine. The meringue is ready when the bowl can be turned upside down without any movement or sliding.
    1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
  • Pipe on any decoration of your choosing, or spread over the bars, then slice.
  • Alternatively, sift powdered sugar over the top of the bars before serving.

Notes

Store uncovered in the fridge for one week. These can also be frozen for around 3 months (cut, freeze on cookies sheet, wrap in plastic wrap & put into freezer bag. Thaw in fridge), but do so before adding the meringue.
The meringue is optional. You can also leave the bars as is, or sift on a dusting of powdered sugar. 

Nutrition

Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 163mg | Potassium: 215mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 466IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg