It’s rare that I go back and make changes to desserts. Once we have something that we love, it usually stays the way it is. Just how I like most things. But sometimes, you have to change it up a little bit.
It’s June, which means we’re finding every excuse to as many strawberries as humanly possible.
Strawberries on their own and mixed into fruit salads. Strawberries in oatmeal and smoothies, in salads and dressings, in pie and jam.
And specifically, and especially, these bars.
I first made these for a work picnic a few years ago, and most recently made a batch to take to my nephew’s 4th birthday party as a dessert for all of the adults.
As expected, most of the bars were gone by that evening. I’m pretty sure one was eaten for breakfast the next morning, and the last couple in the pan ended up being an afternoon snack for my mom, Nick’s mom, and me while we chatted – and ate, straight from the pan – around the kitchen island. I think if the last crumbs are being scooped out of the pan with a spoon, you’ve got a good thing going.
The original recipe for these was great, and there isn’t much that I changed this time around, but the addition of the ginger to the topping adds just enough of a different flavor so it doesn’t taste like your typical strawberry pie. A little punch, a little pizzazz.
And pizzazz is just what you need in summer.
As soon as the days get longer and everything feels green, these bars are all I want. It's exactly what we should be eating right now: juicy, perfectly red strawberries and tart, chunky rhubarb. The crust is somewhere between a very thick pie crust and a shortbread; the topping is full of chopped pecans and spiced up with a touch of ginger. If you have a hankering for a pie, this is just what you need - and no pie crust to roll out!
Crust
Fruit filling
Crumble topping