Rhubarb Bars

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Sweet and tart, enjoy this dessert from a family recipe.

Ingredients

For the rhubarb filling:

8 cups chopped rhubarb

1 1/2 cups evaporated cane juice

1/4 cup water

2-3 T cornstarch or arrowroot

2 tsp vanilla

For the crust:

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup non-hydrogenated spread

1 1/2 cups oatmeal

1 1/2 cup unbleached flour (or 1 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup brown rice flour)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup walnuts, chopped

Preparation

If you grow your own rhubarb, pull enough to make 8 cups, OR, buy 24 stalks. Wash, trim off the root end and then cut into 3/4 inch chunks. Put the rhubarb into a sauce pan and add the sugar. Turn on low and stir. Check back and stir every 5 minutes.

Dissolve the cornstarch or arrowroot in the water and add the vanilla. Set aside.

For the crust, blend the brown sugar and non-hydrogenated spread until creamy. Then add the oats, the flour and the baking soda and mix.

When the rhubarb is bubbling and soft and there is sauce in the pan, add the cornstarch/arrowroot mixture. Stir until it becomes clear and thick. Turn off the heat.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Put half of the crust mixture into a 12 x 7 1/2 or 13 x 9 inch pan and press it down with your fingers to make a firm crust.

Add the walnuts to the remaining half of the crust mixture and mix until crumbly.

Pour the rhubarb into the pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the remaining crust on the top.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes until the top crust is brown.