Rhubarb is a strange fruit. Or, is it a vegetable?? ::Googles:: Ok, apparently, rhubarb is not a fruit at all, but a vegetable! I did not grow up eating rhubarb. In fact, I had never even heard of it until I moved to New York. Rhubarb looks like giant red celery stalks, but doesn’t taste like celery—I wouldn’t advise biting into this odd vegetable because it is incredibly tart. Which makes it perfect for a dessert!
This is my first rhubarb crisp. And it is darn delicious! I had a refrigerator full of rhubarb because if I see it at the market, I always buy it since it’s season is so short. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with all that rhubarb, so when I asked “What should I bake next?” and someone said “Rhubarb crisp” I was relieved! I already had the rhubarb AND a rhubarb crisp is Easy! My favorite kind of baking project—I already had everything and it doesn’t take too much work. lol!
I added strawberries because I had those around too, and rhubarb and strawberries go together like peas and carrots. But raspberries would be spectacular too (remember this Raspberry Rhubarb Swiss Roll?!)
About the rhubarb: First, you’ve gotta prep it. If your rhubarb stalks are mature, they will have a really thick skin! You will need to peel that skin off. Simply trim the top and bottom, and just peel the layer off around the stalk. If your rhubarb is young, there is no need to peel the skin!
Next, slice the rhubarb into thin pieces. Wash and hull the strawberries, then slice those too. Add the rhubarb slices, strawberry slices, brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, and vanilla extract into a bowl and toss together. Then, pour it into a greased dish. (I used a pie plate, but you could also you an 8×8 or 9×9 inch square pan. Or cake pan!)
Next, make the crumble topping. Add the oats, brown sugar, flour and dash of salt to a bowl and mix together. Then, add the butter and use your fingers to work the butter into the mixture until it’s all combined. Sprinkle the crumble on top of the rhubarb and strawberries, and then bake. Of course, this is delicious with a scoop of ice cream or dollop of whipped cream, but it’s also downright delicious as is. If you serve it warm (which I recommend), it won’t have a chance to set. But if you let it sit at room temperature, the filling will thicken up. Happy Baking!
Rhubarb Crisp Recipe
Rhubarb Crisp Ingredients
Filling:
1 – 1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed and thinly sliced (yields 1 pound / 4 cups of sliced rhubarb)*
1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced (yields 3 cups)
1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (30g) all purpose flour
Juice from half of a lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crisp Topping:
1/2 cup (50g) rolled oats
1/2 cup (60g) all purpose flour
1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
dash of salt
4 tablespoons softened unsalted or salted butter (if using salted butter, omit the dash of salt)
*Note: Make sure the rhubarb is sliced super thin so that it will cook down during baking.
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Preheat the oven to 375 F. and place a rack in the center of the oven.
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Add the sliced rhubarb, sliced strawberries, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour, lemon juice and vanilla to a large bowl. Toss to combine.
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Using softened butter, lightly coat your baking dish. You can use a pie plate, 8- or 9-inch square pan, or even a cake pan. Pour the filling into your baking dish.
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Prepare the crisp topping. Add the oats, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and salt to a medium sized bowl. Stir until combined. Add the softened butter and use your fingertips to massage the butter into the mixture until there are clumps and everything is combined.
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Sprinkle the topping over the rhubarb. Bake until the filling is aggressively bubbling and the crisp topping is starting to brown, about 35-45 minutes.
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Remove from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes. You can serve warm, or you can wait until the filling has time to thicken. Enjoy!
Store in the refrigerator, covered for up to 4 days.
Variation: Strawberry Crisp
Substitute 1 1/2 pounds rhubarb with additional 1 pound of strawberries, hulled and sliced.
Reduce brown sugar in the filling from 1/2 cup to 1/3 cup.
Proceed with the recipe otherwise, as written.
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