Sweet is all well and good until it’s tipped over into mawkish yuck. Consider that a life lesson for just about everything.
Any day I find local seasonal produce in the grocery aisles is considered a win. This week’s find was a stack of gorgeous rhubarb. Rhubarb saves the day again and again in the spring, giving a tart shot to all my baking. Pair it with an equally tart apple and you’re ready to pucker up.
If a bit more sugar is needed, use a sweeter apple like Golden Delicious. Younger kids may find this dessert too tart. Experiment with your own sugar doses.
Rhubarb Apple Crumble
-serves 8
What you need:
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup packed golden brown sugar
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped
- 4 cups diced and peeled apples-Granny Smith or Golden Delicious work best
- 3 cups diced fresh rhubarb- I like my rhubarb diced in about 1 inch slices. Anything too small is just mush.
- 2 tablespoons sugar-this is just enough to brighten but not overpower the tart taste
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
What you do:
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Mix first five ingredients in medium bowl, then add butter in pieces. With fingers, bind together until mixture clumps together. Keep in fridge while you chop all your fruit.
- Toss fruit, sugar, flour, and vanilla then dump into 9 by 13 inch glass baking dish.
- Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit.
- Bake for 30 minutes then cover with foil for another 10. Check carefully to make sure topping doesn’t get too brown.
- Cool for 20 minutes on baking rack.
- Sunday supper garnish: add a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream. Also wonderful cold the next day over yogurt.
For more rhubarb recipes, try a meringue approach, a lovely weekend muffin, or a ginger topped cake.
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