Today was my last day at my job! On Monday, I begin a new role – I’ll be in the same company, but I’m transferring to a project management role in our International business unit. I’ll be traveling a lot more (in fact, I’ll be on a plane to Hong Kong on my first day on the job), and working on some really neat projects with our teams around the world, with the side benefit of getting to tell you all about the awesome foods I get to try. I’m very excited about my new job, but the past few days have been bittersweet. This was my first job out of college, and I’ve had two and a half great years in the group that I’m leaving. I’ve learned a ton, developed so much more confidence in myself, and, maybe most importantly, met some really great people. When I was first looking for jobs, I didn’t realize the sheer volume of time you spend with your coworkers, and I consider myself lucky to have found myself in a group of smart, entertaining, and caring people who have become my close friends. I spent a good part of most days at work laughing with an intensity that I never expected to experience in a workplace, and I know I’m lucky to be able to say that. I’m certainly planning on maintaining my friendships with everyone, but it will be different not being there for the little day to day stories and jokes. So, thank you CS&R, for being awesome.

Although I’ve brought baked goods in to work once or twice, I have to admit that overall, I probably fell short of my coworkers’ expectations of having a food blogger around. So today, to celebrate my time in the group and make good on all my “yeah I’ll make those someday” promises, I brought in a batch of classic, gooey, super sweet seven layer bars. I considered going all fancy/homemade with these – you know, homemade cookie crust, a caramel drizzle, etc. – but in the end, what I really wanted was just the classic version, over-processed store bought ingredients and all. So that’s what I made, although it turns out that if you live in Cambridge, it’s pretty difficult/expensive to try and find things like sweetened coconut flakes, butterscotch chips, and sweetened condensed milk when Wholefoods has taken over the local grocery scene (typically a good thing, but not for something like this). Still, these are certainly worth making in my book, and hopefully my coworkers thought so too. Now I just have to start managing the baking expectations of my new coworkers.

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Peppermint Bark Brownies

Blackberry Cheesecake Bars

Toffee-Coconut Crack Cookies

Classic Seven-Layer Bars

Adapted from Brown-Eyed Baker. Makes 18-24 bars.

• 1 package of  graham crackers (8 or 9 whole crackers)
• 1 stick butter (8 TBS) melted
• 1 1/2 c. whole pecans, coarsely chopped
• 1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 c. white chocolate chips
• 1/2 c. butterscotch chips
• 1 c. sweetened coconut flakes
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with tinfoil so that the foil hangs slightly over the sides. Place graham crackers in a blender and pulse several times until crackers are finely ground. Pour into a bowl and add the melted butter, stirring to fully coat the crumbs with the butter. Spread the buttered crumbs into the bottom of the lined pan, pressing to create a thin and even layer.
2. In order, sprinkle the chopped pecans, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and coconut flakes evenly over the graham cracker crust. Spoon or pour the can of sweetened condensed milk evenly over the surface of the entire pan. Place in the preheated oven and bake until the top is golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about two hours. Cover and store in the fridge.

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Originally, I was planning on making last night’s recipe the last one I posted for rhubarb week. But once I started looking, I just couldn’t stop finding recipes I wanted to make! Then, in an email exchange with Linda, she mentioned the rhubarb ginger crumb bars she was planning on posting soon, and I immediately remembered these amazing rhubarb ginger bars I made a few summers ago. I had to share them. They have a ginger-flavored shortbread crust that’s buttery and crumbly, and a tangy, pink filling reminiscent of lemon squares (which are one of my favorite desserts). They stay a little soft on top, so they’re not the easiest to transport, but that didn’t stop me from bringing some to work in a tupperware – a squished rhubarb bar still tastes absolutely delicious.

So this is the last (and in my opinion, the best) official recipe of rhubarb week – but if I’m being honest, I’m only stopping because I ran out of rhubarb. I’m hoping to replenish my stocks at the garden this weekend to make a special dessert for Sunday dinner, but I promise I’ll give you guys a little bit of a break and mix things up around here – we’re moving on to Southern food, some more inspiration from our Italy trip, and a few new summer cookbooks. Until then, have a great weekend!

Rhubarb Week Part One: Rhubarb-Prosecco Spritzer
Rhubarb Week Part Two: Rhubarb Custard Fool
Rhubarb Week Part Three: Recipe Round-up from Around the Blogs
Rhubarb Week Part Four: Persian Rhubarb and Beef with Rice

Rhubarb-Ginger Bars

Adapted slightly from Two Spoons. Makes about 16 bars.

• 1 stick salted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 c. light brown sugar
• 1 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 c. chopped rhubarb (about 4-5 medium sized stalks)
• 10 TBS sugar, divided
• 3 eggs
• 2 TBS lemon juice
• 1 TBS cornstarch

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a small bowl, beat together room temperature butter and brown sugar until mixture is smooth. Stir in flour and ground ginger. Dough will be slightly crumbly. Press into the prepared pan and place in freezer until oven is preheated. Bake crust for 20 minutes, then remove from oven.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine rhubarb and 5 TBS of the sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until rhubarb is soft and juices are syrupy, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and puree in a food processor. Let cool so it’s no longer hot to the touch.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and remaining 5 TBS of sugar until thick and pale yellow. Whisk in lemon juice, then stir in cooled rhubarb puree. Sift in cornstarch and whisk to combine. Pour rhubarb puree over crust.
4. Lower oven temperature to 320°F. Bake rhubarb bars for 20-25 minutes, until filling is set. Refrigerate until cold and serve chilled.

The post Ingredient of the Week: Rhubarb // Rhubarb-Ginger Bars appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.