Rhubarb-Berry Oatmeal Bars

Getting fresh produce at the farmer's market just puts me in a baking mood! I got some fresh rhubarb at the this weekend, and I had just a few organic raspberries leftover after I devoured most of them fresh.  I don't typically like baked fruit, but there's something about rhubarb that I just love.  Maybe it's because it's technically a vegetable, or maybe it's because I just like all the flavors that go along with it when it's baked.  Anyway, here's my own sweet concoction for fresh rhubarb.

Rhubarb-Berry Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients:

 3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 c raspberry jam or raspberry puree (add sugar to the puree, or your bars might end up too tart)
4 ripe stalks fresh rhubarb, chopped and tossed in 2-4 tablespoons sugar

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 inch pan

2. Combine flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, and baking powder in a large bowl.  Cut in the softened butter and stir together until the mixture begins to clump together and is completely combined.  I like to use my fingers for this part!

3. Press half of the crumbs into the pan.  Spread the raspberries over the crust, then sprinkle the rhubarb over that.  Crumble the rest of the "dough" over the rhubarb, and press down lightly to flatten down.

4. Bake in the oven until golden brown on top, about 20-25 minutes.  Cool completely before cutting.

These go wonderfully with fresh vanilla whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!