Rhubarb Shortbread Bars
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Spring is here and that means it’s rhubarb season. These Rhubarb Shortbread Bars started out with a puff pastry base and after a few tweaks morphed into this recipe using shortbread. I love the tart and tangy flavor from rhubarb and poached it in a vanilla scented syrup. Interested?
Rhubarb Shortbread Bars
While rhubarb is technically a vegetable, it is most often used in desserts. Not to be eaten raw, but cooked, sweetened and is great when mixed with apples or berries.
I am a huge rhubarb fan and use it often. A house favorite is Rhubarb Crisp, and Rhubarb Apple Hand Pies. For something a little different this Balsamic Black Pepper Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble is a fantastic taste sensation. Great uses, but I wanted a new dessert.
I originally started this recipe off using puff pastry, but it wasn’t working, I needed something not as delicate.
Shortbread would do the trick and I decided to add ground almonds to the mix. This shortbread alone would be perfect. I trimmed the edges of the baked shortbread after it cooled and starting to think of other recipe uses. Sweet, delicate, crunchy shortbread with flecks of ground almonds. Schmeared with Nutella or something…. oh my.
To lighten up the tangy rhubarb I poached the rhubarb in a vanilla scented syrup for 5 minutes. The flavor combination is just out of this world. I swear, it may seem odd, but wow it’s a good one. I made another batch on it’s own and chopped the rhubarb up so it would be a great compote.
Instead of a custard or curd, I whipped up some ricotta cheese I had and sweetened it up a bit with honey. Could this be any better? Each bite had tender, tangy, vanilla scented rhubarb, a creamy, light ricotta filling and then the tender bite of the shortbread.
Both Dave and I thought it might be better with chopped rhubarb. Feel free to chop it into chunks, but for presentation sake I kept it in small strips. I thought it might break down while poaching it. Either way this is a tasty one. Enjoy!
Rhubarb Shortbread Bars
Ingredients
- Shortbread:
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour ground almonds
- pinch salt
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- Poached Rhubarb:
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 lemon juice
- 2 lbs rhubarb
- Filling:
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 4 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Shortbread: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13” pan with parchment paper.
- Place butter, flours, salt and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until smooth.
- Place shortbread dough in the prepared pan and press using your fingers to a form a layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Bake for 25 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- Poaching Rhubarb: Slice rhubarb into 4-inch pieces. Set aside.
- Stir together sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Add vanilla and lemon juice, and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add rhubarb to poaching liquid, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer rhubarb to a plate to cool.
- In a bowl whip together the ricotta and honey. Spread evenly on cooled shortbread. Top with cooled, poached rhubarb and line the length of the shortbread. Chill for 10 minutes before slicing and serve.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
It seems everyone is having a rhubarb season except me. Usually, you can find it here in March-April…but not this year. We’ll get some in our backyard later on, but that would be not earlier than mid of June which is sad:) I’m totally jealous! Besides, this shortbread sounds and looks terrific. With ricotta and honey? Yes please!
Thanks Ben. Sorry for the late reply, been a busy past couple weeks in and out of town and places with spotty WiFi. Rhubarb is simply one of those things I really look forward to each season. The tart flavor when mixed in a sweet dessert is perfect I think. I actually made it again, but with the rhubarb in compote form spread on top. The shortbread and ricotta were just fine on their own, but since it is in season I couldn’t help myself. 🙂
Firstly, rhubarb is an all-time favourite of mine… secondly, whipped ricotta is incredible. Combined together on shortbread and you’ve totally won me over!!
Thanks Amanda. I made it again the other day and I think I prefer the rhubarb cooked down in a compote and spread on top. Although we had no issue in devouring these up either 🙂
Nope. This could not be any better! Between the shortbread crust and honey whipped ricotta, I’m sold! I’ve never made anything with rhubarb…it is so time!! 🙂
Thanks Annie, I hope you do try rhubarb, it is a fantastic Spring vegetable that I think many (me included) view and use as a fruit in baked desserts. Tart and tangy and when combined in a sweet dessert is so good. Try it chopped up in an apple crisp!
Poached rhubarb and ricotta? Man, you are after my heart! The rhubarb in my fridge is beginning to be turned into these beautiful bars 😉 poaching the rhubarb was such a brilliant idea!
Thank you Rachel, the addition of the vanilla is superb!
Now, if I only had a one or two of your Chocolate Covered Almond Butter Puffed Millet Bars I’d be a really happy camper. Might have to try making a batch as (and I swear it’s true) I just came home with a bag of puffed millet from Sprouts. Haha! Have a wonderful day.
I love rhubarb, and as a child, I would pick it and eat it raw. Very sour, but you know when you’re a kid, you have unusual taste buds. Unfortunately, this will never make it to our little island, or I would love to try this and many of your other rhubard recipes. Hopefully, I could convert my husband to a rhubard lover.
I remember eating the stems of these yellow flowered weeds, super sour, but as a kid it’s all good. Funny memory, thanks for that Cathy!
Sorry that read that rhubarb doesn’t make it’s way down to the Caribbean. 🙁
Hey Kevin! You know shortbread is favorite and this transformation is amazing! I’m a big fan of rhubarb, but unfortunately it will not grow in TN red clay. We tried and it just kept dying off. I really like strawberry /rhubarb pie and rhubarb crisp and I’m sure that this will become a favorite!
Good morning Dorothy and I hope this finds you and Gary well. How’s he doing?
I hope your grocery there supplies you with rhubarb, it would be a pity NOT to enjoy it this Spring! If you can get rhubarb, try the other recipes, too. That Balsamic Black Pepper Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble is really off the hook good. Happy Monday!
Holy YUM, Kevin!! I looove rhubarb in baked goods and this looks amazing! I literally love everything about this – the shortbread crust with almonds, the honey whipped ricotta and (definitely) that rhubarb poached in vanilla scented syrup! I’m totally salivating like a rabid dog over here! Pinned! Cheers, buddy!
Well I’m sure you would be the prettiest salivating rabid dog! 🙂
Isn’t rhubarb so good? You got to wonder who first decided to eat it and then cook it and then again to add sugar. That’s perseverance right there! It’s like an artichoke or chocolate. People must have been desperate, or stubborn, and thank goodness they kept trying and passed it on to us how to properly enjoy them! I really LOVE the vanilla add to the poaching syrup, hope you give this a try. Thanks Chey!
What a delicious Spring dessert, Kevin! Love the ricotta cheese filling…extra for me please 🙂 Wishing I had like 3 of these right now with my morning coffee. Thanks for sharing another wicked recipe and hope you have a lovely week 🙂
Happy Monday Dawn! I love ricotta in cannoli and since I had it on hand, well it turned out to be a fantastic filling – all whipped up with some honey! Now I need to get that second cup of coffee myself. 🙂
You piqued my curiosity when you talked about poached rhubarb in vanilla-scented syrup, Kevin – I would be happy with just that! But – throwing it onto shortbread with whipped ricotta makes this hard to resist! So many flavors that work so beautifully together!
Thank you Shashi. Like I mentioned to Dave, I just had the balance of the rhubarb compote over oatmeal. Delish 🙂
This sounds like one excellent spring treat, Kevin! Laura and I are huge fans of whipped ricotta after discovering it in a cafe in Montreal a few years back. We need to whip up (no pun intended) another batch, and the rhubarb on top sounds like a great addition. The bitter combined with the sweet would be mighty tasty! #WolfpackWhipItWhipItGood
Thanks Dave. I have yet to hit up Canada and I actually have a list of many restaurants to try in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.
The vanilla added a cool flavor overall to the rhubarb in this. I just had the balance of the compote of it over oatmeal. 🙂