Rhubarb Crumble Bites

Just a photo of rhubarb takes me back to my childhood! Summers spent in my garden in Kent playing with the dog, and helping my parents before I ran in to watch Gladiators or Surprise, Surprise (probably whilst singing and dancing along to something by the Spice Girls)!

My parents always hated rhubarb. The plant itself, not the flavour! They'd complain how it took over the garden and was a devil of a job to tame. For me it brings back happy memories of Sunday lunch when we would have a roast dinner followed by rhubarb crumble crimble crumble! with custard or ice cream.

I haven't quite managed to cultivate rhubarb in my garden on this side of the pond yet, which might explain why I still have such fond memories of it, so I've been using frozen rhubarb instead for the recipe below. Fresh would, of course, work just as well if you're lucky enough to be able to find it!

Ingredients
1 cup rhubarb- I used frozen chopped rhubarb
1 ripe banana (the riper the better!)
2 mini avocados/ 1 large avocado
3 cups date sugar (1.5 for the rhubarb jam, 1.5 for the sponge), plus extra to sprinkle on top (optional) If you are unable to find date sugar, turbinado or raw sugar would work well, just use a cup of each rather than 1.5 cups.
1 cup rolled / old fashioned oats
2 cups oat flour
1 cup cassava flour. This can be substituted with arrowroot or potato or rice flours- anything a little starchy
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp ground flax
1/2 cup water for the flax mixture, plus another 2 tbsp for the rhubarb
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional- 3/4 cup for the sponge mixture, and 1/4 cup for the crumble topping. If omitting, use only 6 or 7 tbsp water in the  oat flour sponge mixture)
1 tbsp date syrup/ honey/ syrup

Method
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F/ 175°C
Add the flax and water to a bowl, mix, then leave to one side.
Add 2 tbsp water to a saucepan and heat on medium. Add the rhubarb, and 1.5 cups date sugar.
Cover, and stir occasionally until a jam like texture is formed, then remove from the heat and leave to one side.
Mash the banana and 1 mini avocado (or 1/2 a large avocado) in a bowl.
Add 1.5 cups date sugar, 3/4 cup of shredded coconut, and the baking powder.
Mix with a wooden spoon or metal whisk until combined.
Add the oat and cassava flours, and the flax mand water mixture, stir until combined.
In a lined baking dish, spread the oat flour mixture evenly.
Add the rhubarb jam in a layer above the oat flour mixture.
Add the  1 mini avocado/ 1/2 large avocado to your mixing bowl and mash, add the oats, syrup/honey, and remaining 1/4 cup shredded coconut, and stir until incorporated.
Spread the oats on top of the rhubarb jam.
Bake at 350°F/ 175°C for 20 minutes

Serve either warm or cool.
These make a delicious dessert paired with some custard or ice cream (see my banana based nice cream recipe here, or my tofu based ice cream recipe here)
They're also brilliant breakfast bars, and good to keep on hand as a mid-day snack, or post-work pick-me-up!
They can be stored in an air tight container (eg Tupperwear, or Ziploc bag) for up to 5 days... if they're around that long!