Spring / No. 05 / Building a crumble topping
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Tart rhubarb and ripe strawberries baked under a crunchy oat, brown sugar and butter topping until bubbling. A classic late-spring dessert.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr 5 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
Photo: Strawberry rhubarb crisp (49913376242) by spurekar, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Rhubarb is one of the first fruits of the year, even though it is technically a vegetable. On its own it is fiercely sour; paired with ripe strawberries and a little sugar it becomes jammy, bright and sweet-tart. A crisp is the easiest way to enjoy it, with no rolling pin required.
The topping is a lesson in texture. Cold butter is rubbed into flour, oats and brown sugar until it forms clumps of different sizes. In the oven, those clumps bake into crunchy clusters that sit on top of the bubbling fruit. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or a spoon of lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and set a rack in the middle. Butter a 9-inch square or similar 2-quart baking dish.
- 2
Make the topping: whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the cold butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like wet sand with pea-size pieces. Stir in the nuts. Refrigerate while you prepare the fruit.
- 3
In a large bowl, toss the rhubarb and strawberries with the sugar, cornstarch, orange zest, vanilla and salt. Let stand for 5 minutes, then toss again and scrape into the baking dish.
- 4
Squeeze handfuls of the topping into clumps and scatter them evenly over the fruit, leaving a few small gaps for juices to bubble through.
- 5
Set the dish on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch drips. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the topping is deep golden and the fruit is bubbling thickly around the edges and in the center.
- 6
Let the crisp cool for at least 20 minutes so the juices can thicken before serving.
Cook's notes
- Frozen rhubarb works; do not thaw it, and add 10 minutes to the baking time.
- Swap a quarter of the flour for almond flour for a richer topping.
- If the top browns too quickly, lay a sheet of foil loosely over it for the last 15 minutes.
Keeping
Cover and keep at room temperature for 1 day or in the fridge for up to 4 days. Rewarm in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes to recrisp the topping.
Cooking times and temperatures are guides; ovens, stoves and ingredients vary. This recipe is for home cooking and is not dietary or medical advice. Check labels for allergens.
