Rhubarb Dream Bars… Trifle: #CreativeCookieExchange

These Rhubarb Dream Bars made an amazing trifle, with a crispy meringue top, a delicious custard filling, with a lemony shortbread crust, and layered with whipped cream. Keep reading to see what other seasonal spring treats the Creative Cookie Exchange came up with this month! Affiliate links have been used to link to items I am discussing.

This is clearly an unconventional Creative Cookie Exchange post, but bear with me. Because while these might have been the ugliest and most un-pick-up-able bars I have ever made, they were also some of the most delicious.

I made these Rhubarb Dream Bars twice, attempting to correct the problem. The first night I made them, I was leaving for a potluck picnic and panicking because my cookies were a mess. So I dumped them in two layers into a plastic container and layered them with whipped cream. They were horribly ugly–and one of the first dishes to disappear! I got loads of compliments and people did not even seem to realize they were supposed to be anything other than what they appeared to be.

So I tried again. The picture above was the result of that try. I am not sure what I am doing wrong–I am going to link to the recipe at King Arthur Flour–I found it in The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion: The Essential Cookie Cookbook. The bars pretty much came out as described–except slicing them was a joke. It was hard not to be frustrated since they had been planned for a picnic, but having said that Alex was actually rooting for them to fail because she found them so delicious in trifle form. John and Sammy were not disappointed either. The food blogger in me was, but not the food lover. They are seriously delicious–the crispy meringue crust provides a great textural counterpoint to the sweet and sour smooth custard rhubarb filling. And the lemon in the shortbread crust brings it all together.

But of course I was horrified that they would not slice.

After a few bites however, I got over my horror. You will too–and if you succeed at slicing them, please let me know what your trick was!

Spring is here! And with it loads of great flavors for baking!

You can also use us as a great resource for cookie recipes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them here at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! Also, if you are looking for inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made:

• Chocolate Chocolate Cherry Cookies from 2 Cookin’ Mamas
• Jam Thumbprint Cookies from A Baker’s House
• Lychee Melting Moments from Flours and Frostings
• Rhubarb Dream Bars… Trifle from The Spiced Life
• Rhubarb Lemon Drop Cookies from A Shaggy Dough Story
• Sticky Mango Shortbread Bars from All That’s Left Are The Crumbs
• Strawberry Cheesecake Bars from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Tart Cherry Oatmeal Cookies from Magnolia Days