Stir Crazy, Posted: 7/11/07
Easy recipe makes the most of spring fruit
Itís spring, and the rhubarb is growing! I havenít had the opportunity to do a lot of baking with rhubarb, but luckily the season is long, and I have a list of recipes to try. One is for a rhubarbaritaóa twist on a margarita which calls for a combination of simple syrup, rhubarb juice and tequila. Sounds like a Garrison Keillor meets Antonio Banderas kind of thing!
I did make a rhubarb dessert with a similarly intriguing name. Itís called Rhubarberry Crisp. I like it not only because it tastes good, but also because it is quick to put together and makes a small amount. Also, you can substitute any combination of berries. I used blackberries which I had left over from a cheesecake I made, and they worked really well. I would even try blueberries.
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Rhubarberry Crisp
3 cups fresh rhubarb
1 1/2 cups raspberries or strawberries
3/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons flour
Topping:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
6 tablespoons softened butter
1/3 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 9-inch square baking dish. Cut rhubarb into 1-inch pieces. Place in pan. Top with berries (if frozen, do not thaw first). Sprinkle fruit with sugar and flour.
For topping, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Add butter and mix with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add nuts.
Sprinkle topping evenly over filling. Bake until fruit is soft and bubbly and topping is browned, about 35-40 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Recipe is from Simply Classic, published by The Junior League of Seattle.
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