Big Ray's Cherry Rhubarb Coffee Bars

Mom gave me the original recipe which is kind of a cross between a coffee cake and dessert bar, using a strawberry-rhubarb combination, but I changed it to one with cherry, which I think gives it a richer flavor.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 50 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 466 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 4 cups chopped rhubarb
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ⅓ cup cornstarch
• 1 (20 ounce) can cherry pie filling
• 1 cup cold butter, cubed
• ½ cup cold butter, cubed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Step 2

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

Step 3

Combine rhubarb and lemon juice in a large saucepan over medium-low heat; cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

Step 4

Mix 1 cup sugar and cornstarch together in a bowl; stir into rhubarb mixture. Cook and stir until rhubarb mixture is thickened and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Stir in pie filling; remove from heat and cool filling, about 10 minutes.

Step 5

Combine 3 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; cut in 1 cup cubed butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Step 6

Beat buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract together in a separate bowl; add to flour mixture and stir just until batter is moistened.

Step 7

Spread a little more than half of the batter into the prepared baking dish; top with cherry-rhubarb filling. Drop teaspoonfuls of remaining batter over filling.

Step 8

Combine 1 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/2 cups flour in a bowl; cut in 1/2 cup cubed butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle mixture over batter.