Rhubarb Meringue Squares

 

I was reading a blog I like called The Culinary Cellar and the author often posts recipes from the once wonderful, but now defunct Cuisine magazine.   This one featured a recipe called "Laura's Strawberry Rhubarb Bars" and I liked the idea of meringue with rhubarb.   I'm a rhubarb purist, however, and prefer to keep strawberries far away from it.   We are still at least a month off from strawberry season up here, anyway.   I wanted to make something from my fantastic giant rhubarb plant growing in my yard.   So I decided to try my hand at making something like this with just rhubarb.  

Rhubarb Meringue Squares

1/2 c butter  softened

1 c all-purpose flour

1 T sugar

3 eggs, separated

1 c sugar

2 T all-purpose flour

1/4 t salt

1/2 c half-and-half

2 1/2 c cut-up rhubarb

1/3 c sugar

1 t vanilla

1/4 c flaked coconut

Heat oven to 350°F. Mix butter, 1 cup flour and 1 tablespoon sugar. Press evenly in ungreased square pan, 8x8x2 inches. Bake 10 minutes.

Mix egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, the salt and half-and-half in large bowl. Stir in rhubarb. Pour over hot crust. Bake 45 minutes.

Beat egg whites in medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Beat in 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue beating until stiff and glossy . Beat in vanilla. Spread over rhubarb mixture; sprinkle with coconut. Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown; cool about 30 minutes. Cut into about 4-inch squares.