Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
Filling:
- ~ 1 cup pistachio paste
- 1 tablespoon flour
- A few pinches of sea salt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 pound rhubarb
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/3 cup pistachios, chopped
- A pinch of sea salt flakes
Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 and line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
- Make the crust: Combine the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Cut the butter into chunks, and add it to the bowl, then run the machine until the mixture forms large clumps.
- Transfer the dough to prepared baking pan and press it evenly across the bottom and 1/4-inch up the sides. Prick holes in the bottom with a fork and bake for 15 minutes, until pale golden. Let cool for a while and make the pistachio paste, if you haven’t already, and prep the rhubarb and nuts.
- Slice the rhubarb: cut it half horizontally top to bottom, i.e. like splitting a hamburger bun, with the flatter part on the bottom (this photo from Smitten Kitchen may help). Keep tops and bottoms matched/stacked and cut stalks on the diagonal into about 1 1/4-inch lengths.
- Spread the pistachio paste over mostly cooled crust.
- Arrange the rhubarb atop the pistachio paste. The top and bottom of each segment should nicely “V” together, color side up, in a chevron pattern. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sugar.
- Sprinkle chopped pistachios all over the top, then sprinkle a pinch sea salt flakes along the top.
- Bake the bars for about 55 minutes until golden.
- Let cool, and ideally even chill, before slicing and serving.
Bars will keep longer in the fridge and be easier to slice. You can double this recipe and make them in a 9×13-inch pan.
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Almond Rhubarb Picnic Bars.