Rhubarb Crumb Bars

This was my Rhubarb yesterday.

...

Here is my Rhubarb today!

Which one would you choose?

I should have taken another picture of just the stalk I think this was my largest rhubarb leaf ever.  It was almost 2 feet in diameter (just the leaf).  I measured.

These bars are my third favorite rhubarb recipe.  First being plain ol' Rhubarb Pie with vanilla ice cream, NO STRAWBERRIES!!! Really I think that is nasty.  Ok, now that I think about it, just plain rhubarb jam-like ice cream topping has to be high on the list too, but I don't know where to put it in the order.  Someday I may share my second favorite, but not today.  This is another Martha recipe.

Rhubarb Crumb Bars

Ingredients

FOR THE STREUSEL
     6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus room-temperature butter for pan
     1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
     1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
     1/4 teaspoon salt
FOR THE CAKE
     1/2 pound rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
     1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
     1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
     1/2 teaspoon baking powder
     1/4 teaspoon salt
     1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
     1 cup confectioners' sugar
     2 large eggs
     1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

   1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Butter and flour parchment and pan, tapping out excess flour.
   2. Make streusel: Whisk together butter, brown sugar, and salt. Add flour and mix with a fork until large crumbs form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
   3. Make cake: In a medium bowl, combine rhubarb, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup flour. In another medium bowl, whisk 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs, one at a time. With mixer on low, beat in vanilla, then flour mixture. Spread batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle with rhubarb and top with streusel.
   4. Bake cake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely in pan. Using paper overhang, lift cake from pan. Cut into 16 bars.

I baked my bars in a larger pan (on purpose) so in an 8x8 pan they will be higher.  Also the streusel covered my larger pan just fine so for a smaller pan it will be plenty.