Blueberry Rhubarb Bars - rhubarb

Method

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Combine rhubarb, blueberries and lemon juice in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until rhubarb is softened. No added liquid is needed as the water from the rhubarb and blueberries will come out naturally.
• In a small bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch. Mix well to break up the lumps of cornstarch. Set aside.
• While rhubarb and blueberries are cooking, begin making the crust. Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, butter, baking soda and salt together in a bowl until well mixed and crumbly. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of crust to be used as a topping. Grease a 13x9 pan with cooking spray. Press remaining crust mixture into the pan in an even layer. Set aside.
• When rhubarb and blueberries are softened, use a potato masher to mash and smooth out the larger chunks. Once bigger pieces are broken up, mix in the sugar/cornstarch mixture. Continue to stir until thickened.
• Once mixture is thickened, pour over crust. Top with reserved crust mixture.
• Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
• Tips:
• 1. Mixing the sugar and cornstarch together will prevent lumps of cornstarch in your mixture.
• 2. The bars will puff up considerably, so don't be alarmed when you open the oven to take out the bars. They will be a bit jiggly. That's OK! They are done!
• 3. When they cool, they'll "deflate" a bit and set up nicely.