Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to Gas 4, 180°C, 350°F.
- Grease and line the baking pan with unbleached parchment paper.
Shortbread Base
- Combine the flour, cold cubed butter, sugars, vanilla, and salt in a food processor.230 grams Butter, 260 grams All-Purpose Flour, 30 grams Powdered Sugar, 50 grams Golden Caster Sugar, 2 tsp Vanilla Extract, pinch Himalayan Salt
- Pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan to form an even crust.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
Filling
- Remove the jam from the jars and add to a clean bowl.
Note:Feel free to use store-bought jam such as this blueberry jam and this rhubarb jam, or better still make our blueberry rhubarb jam. 800 grams Blueberry Rhubarb Jam - Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds on high.
- Add the tapioca flour.2 tbsp Tapioca Flour
- Mix well.
- Add to the lightly cooked base.
Crumble Topping
- In a clean bowl, combine the oats, flour, soft butter, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon.100 g Rolled Oats, 100 g All-Purpose Flour, 80 g Butter, 80 g Light Brown Sugar, ½ tsp Ground Ceylon Cinnamon
- Mix using your fingers until the ingredients come together in a crumbly texture.
- Sprinkle the crumble topping over the jammy mixture, covering it evenly or dotting it around.
Baking
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the topping is golden brown, and the fruit filling is bubbling.
- Allow the Bluebarb Crumble Slices to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, slice into squares or rectangles.
- Sieve powdered sugar over the top (optional) before serving!
Notes
Here are some top tips to help you succeed in making Bluebarb Slices slices like a pro:
- Use fresh, high-quality blueberries and rhubarb for the best flavor and texture. Out-of-season berries give quite a bitter aftertaste.
- When making the shortbread crust, ensure that the butter is cold. Cold butter helps create a flaky and tender crust. If needed, cut the butter into small cubes and place it in the freezer for a few minutes.
- To achieve the ideal crumble texture, use softened butter and mix the ingredients until they resemble coarse crumbs. This topping adds a delightful crunch, so ensure it's evenly distributed over the fruit filling.
- Press the shortbread mixture firmly and evenly into the baking pan to create a solid base for the bluebarb slices. This ensures that each bite has a perfect balance of crust and filling.
- The topping indicates doneness when it's turned slightly golden.
- Keep a close eye on the slices as they bake. The topping should be golden brown, and the fruit filling should be bubbling. Overbaking may result in a dry texture, so check for doneness around the 25-minute mark.
- Allowing the slices to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing them ensures the filling is set, and makes it easier to cut neat slices without the filling oozing out.
- Feel free to use store-bought jams, such as blueberry jam and rhubarb jam. Both these jams weigh 340 grams; if you don't mind a little less jam, then you do not need to buy extra jars. This would reduce the cost by not having to buy two jars of each flavor.
- Try our Apple Plum Jam. Create a double batch, then use half to store in jars and the other half for the Bluebarb Slices.
- Jams, such as blueberry, loganberry, acai berry, and redcurrants, can be used to experiment with different flavors. If you choose berries such as strawberries, blackberries, or pomegranates with seeds, you may want to consider their size.
- Dairy-Free: Use dairy-free butter.
- Gluten-Free: Use brown rice flour and 1/2 teaspoon of guar gum, and use gluten-free oats.
