Rhubarb Custard Bars
Eat What You Want Day happens to fall during one of my favorite times of year. RHUBARB SEASON! We bought our house during late winter/early spring and it was so fun finding out what we had in our yard for flowers, trying to guess what the early emergers were. And you guessed it – we were over the moon to find the first hints of rhubarb.
I remember going for walks with a collicky baby around the yard. It helped calm both of us to get outside and have a change of scenery. Sometimes that little extra bit of a breeze would make the little one suddenly inhale and forget to let out that scream.
Spring is one of the only times of year where we don’t get carried away by mosquitos.
Where was I? Oh yes, these bars! I tried to think of what I would most like to eat for one of the most forgiving holidays of the year, and this amazing rhubarb creation kept calling to me.
And I am so glad I did…my waistline may have other ideas…but I think it was worth it.
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour - divided
- 1 tsp salt
- 2¾ cup sugar - divided
- 1 cup cold butter
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream - divided
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 5 cups fresh rhubarb, finely chopped or frozen, thawed and drained
- 1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9x13in baking pan.
- Prepare crust by combining 2 cups flour, ¼ cup sugar, 1 tsp salt, and 1 cup cold butter in a food processor. Pulse until mixture looks like crumbs or forms dough. (You could also use a handheld pastry blender or fork.)
- Press into an even layer on the bottom of your baking pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- While the Crust is baking, prepare the filling. Combine 2 cups sugar, ½ tsp nutmeg, and ½ cup flour in a large bowl.
- Beat 3 eggs and add to 1 cup whipping cream.
- Pour the whipping cream mixture into the flour mixture and stir to combine.
- Next, fold in the rhubarb.
- Pour over the crust and bake until custard is set - about 40-45 minutes.
- Prepare topping by whipping remaining cream until fluffy.
- In a separate bowl beat cream cheese, ½ cup sugar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Fold in the whipped cream.
- Spread over cooled custard, cover and chill.
- Store bars in the refrigerator.
It’s early in the rhubarb season, so I didn’t have quite enough rhubarb to scratch that itch (or make this recipe how it really should be made.) Oh well, I guess I may just have to make this again in a few weeks when the rhubarb is booming again!
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