Rhubarb Berry Squares

Kitty FloridoMarch 3, 2015

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As you already know, one of the things I absolutely love about having the blog with Helga, is that we cook a lot. And most of that cooking we share with friends. Picture this: For fall, we get pumpkins and pumpkin puree, so we have pie, soup, puree, muffins, a loaf or cake… all within a week or two. We have to get creative. First, we taste it out. Then, we share it with family and friends. And sometimes, we freeze some of the dishes or some of the ingredients. So, most of the times, when I’m baking desserts, I try to make them for special occasions or gatherings, that way I know the food will be tested… and loved! Not all the times we can be adventurous, but after baking and combining flavors, there are just a few pairings that you know will go amazing together. Take this rhubarb, blueberry and cranberry squares. Think shortbread cookies with jam and crumble on top. I thought it was going to be great, but man it was a hit!

It was a few months since we hanged out with a bunch of friends, and since we all had an open night on a Saturday, we all got together to talk about life, how was this year starting to look like, what would love to do throughout 2015 and just give thanks that we all have each other. I whipped up this recipe earlier that day, and just a 15 minutes shy of cutting out the first piece, it was halfway gone. I didn’t get a chance to take anything back other than the dish I baked it in… so I am happy to share this tweaked recipe with all of you.

If you don’t have rhubarb or cranberries at hand, replace all of the amounts with any type of berries you like, or even peaches and blueberries… the combinations are endless. In the frozen section of your favorite grocery store, you can find frozen berries and that is the perfect combination for this recipe. I hope you enjoy cooking this, but specially seeing the dish just fly by as much as I did… I even had to ask for a time out to take the picture (with my phone!) and to taste a small square before it was all gone!

Kitty

Rhubarb Berry Squares

Adapted from Two Bees {Cakes and Crafts}
Yield: 12-16 small squares

Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup powdered sugar
½ cup + ⅓ cups sugar, separated
½ tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups of chopped rhubarb
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 ½ cups blueberries
½ cup cranberries

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 325ºF, and line a 8-by-8-inch pan with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter, powdered sugar and ½ cup sugar, beating on medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla and cinnamon, continue beating until combined. Add the flour and mix on the lowest speed until combined. The mixture will be like loose crumbs, but when you press them together they will hold.
Separate the dough into halves. Add the one half of the dough to the prepared pan and press until it is flattened. I used a measuring cup to make this easier. With the second half, I just transferred it to bowl, covered it and refrigerate.
Bake the dough for 20 minutes, until edges barely start to brown. When done, remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Add chopped rhubarb, water, the remaining sugar and cornstarch to a non-stick saucepan. Cook over medium heat, until the mixture has thickened and the rhubarb is soft. Crush with a potato masher a few times to ensure smoothness.
Remove the saucepan from the stove and stir in the blueberries and cranberries.
Spread the berries and rhubarb mix over the cooled shortbread layer. Remove the other half of the dough from the fridge and scatter the crumbs, covering the entire pan.
Put the pan back into the oven and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top has browned and is slightly crispy.
Let it cool completely before serving.