Rhubarb Dessert Squares

½ c. real butter
1 c. flour
1/3 c. powdered sugar
3 c. diced rhubarb
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
 ¼ c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
 ¼ tsp. salt
Cream butter, flour and powdered sugar. Pat into greased 8x8 pan. Bake 350˚ 15 minutes. Arrange rhubarb on hot crust. Combine eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt and pour over rhubarb. Bake 350˚ about 40 minutes longer. Cool. Serve with whipped cream, if desired. Even though rhubarb is considered a vegetable, it is most often treated as a fruit. Rhubarb provides a good source of vitamin C, fiber, and calcium. It is usually eaten cooked, and just like fresh cranberries, rhubarb is almost unbearably tart on its own. It needs the added sweetness of sugar, honey, or fruit juice to balance out the acidity. Since rhubarb is primarily used for pie, it is also referred to by its nickname the “pie plant”.

Rhubarb Crumble Pie

When I was a newly wed, we had an 80+ year old neighbor who had a German accent. He would frequently tell me to help myself to produce from his garden--which I gladly and thankfully did! One spring, he asked me if I wanted some "pipe plant". I was confused, and did not know what he was talking about! Finally, I realized he was talking about rhubarb!--it used to be called "pie plant". Soooo, enjoy this recipe which has been shared with many and is on page 128 in my cookbook!

1 c. flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 c. quick oats
½ c. sugar
1/3 c. melted real butter

3 –4 c. diced rhubarb
½ c. sugar
¼ tsp. cinnamon
1 T. butter

Combine flour, salt, oats and sugar. Stir in butter and mix until crumbly. Pat half of the crumbs onto the sides and bottom of a greased 9-inch pie plate. Save remaining half for topping.
Arrange rhubarb on crust. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Dot with 1 T. butter. Sprinkle remaining topping over filling. Bake 350˚ 40 minutes or until rhubarb is tender.

Grandma used to set her hot baked pies on the windowsill to cool. her granddaughters set theirs on the windowsill to thaw!