Bluebarb Breakfast Bars
The following recipe was created in collaboration with Lauren Schulte. To see more of her bites and meals, visit her Instagram @TheBiteSizePantry. Recipe inspired by Alexandra’s Kitchen.
They may be called “breakfast” bars, but don’t let that stop you from snacking on them all day! Breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or dessert… it’s all fair game!
I love to use fresh ingredients so when I came across the rhubarb stalks at the County Line Produce Auction I knew I had to snatch them up. To keep the stalks fresh, even when they’re out of season, you can easily freeze them.
If you can’t find fresh rhubarb because it’s out of season but you want to snack on these bars, you can frozen rhubarb in the freezer section near the frozen fruit.
My Bluebarb Breakfast Bars are a unique and fruity snack cake. They’re packed with bits of sweet and tart rhubarb, blueberries and ground cherries. It’s officially my favorite way to start the day.
Bluebarb Breakfast Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup half & half
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar, plus 2 tsp. for sprinkling on top
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour, save 1 Tbsp. to toss with rhubarb and berries
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 cups rhubarb,thinly sliced
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup ground cherries
Instructions
- Set oven to 350˚F. Lightly butter a 9×9 baking pan.
- Stir the lemon juice into the half & half and set aside.
- Cream the soft butter and sugar in a stand mixer or electric beaters until creamy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping down the bowl as you go.
- Chop the rhubarb into small bite size pieces.
- Peel off the outer skin of the ground cherries, leaving just the cherry center itself.
- Add 1 Tbsp. of the flour to the rhubarb, blueberries and cherries and toss well.
- Mix together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and mix well.
- Add the half & half and the rest of the flour.
- Fold in the berries and rhubarb.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with sugar, if desired.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the cake is turns golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. A few crumbs are fine.
- After it cools, cut and serve with a warm cup of coffee.
This is a recipe that I am determined to find no matter how disorganized I have been or am. It is colorful in appearance and conjures the cozy & comforting feeling. It is YUMMY and easy to make. It contains great (antioxidant & unique) fruit especially the rhubarb which, I think, is an ingredient so few recipes have. SO ! On this yet again gray chilly day in January 2023, I am looking forward to savoring its flavor and look ! YEAH !