Strawberry Crumb Bars #WhatsBaking

Welcome to June's What's Baking! 

The theme for this challenge was Bars and was selected by our host, Nicole of Cookies on Friday.  I was thrilled because, as a proper Midwestern girl,  I absolutely love bars of all kinds. 

Strawberry season is hot and heavy right now in Wisconsin. The fields just opened this week and the berries are, as usual, out of this world. I normally do not eat strawberries out of season because they are always a big disappointment and nothing like the bounty in June.  I like to pick a bunch and usually make make freezer jam, a bunch of desserts, a few bags of whole frozen berries (I freeze on parchment paper on a cookie sheet and store in freezer bag for easy measuring) and plenty to be eaten as is. Kellen and I headed out yesterday to get fresh berries and there is nothing like a sun warmed berry right off the vine. Lucky Kellen is even going back tomorrow to pick more with his Grandma! For the What's Baking challenge I decided to make a delicious bar featuring my favorite seasonal fruit of the moment- strawberries. I set this bar up with a similar crust to these bars and made a very simply sweet strawberry filling. These bars are so easy they are baked and cooling in under just over a half hour. However, they do require sometime to cool and set up, so plan accordingly if you are making them to share the same day. 

These bars are delicious and a fantastic way to use this summer fruit. I also love how easy they are and the clean up is so minimal- important factor with two little kids! I am still deciding if I want to hog the pan by keeping it at home or share and send it with Ron for his co-workers to enjoy....decisions, decisions. I am also thinking that I am going to give these a try with blueberries in a few weeks for a different twist. 

I hope everyone had/ is having a lively Father's Day with the dads in your life! I am off to enjoy Game of Thrones and a Strawberry Crumb Bar with my guy!

Ingredients

3 sticks unsalted butter, melted 

1 cup brown sugar 

2 cups all-purpose flour 

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

 1 tsp baking soda

 1 tsp salt

 1 tsp vanilla

 3 cups chopped strawberries
2 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 13x9 pan with foil. Grease with cooking spray or butter and set aside.

Add in the brown sugar, flour, oats, soda, salt, and vanilla  to melted butter and stir until combined.  Press half the oat mixture into the pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl mix together strawberries, cornstarch and sugar and spread evenly over the base of the bars once removed from the oven. Crumble the remaining oat mixture on top.

Bake for an additional 25 minutes. Cool on the counter for about 45 minutes. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours before cutting and serving.