Rhubarb and Raspberry Crisp

Spring is a little more than four weeks away, however, from my perspective it can't get here soon enough. Between the snow, ice, dreary gray skies, bitter cold, and more snow, I have experienced all of the winter I need to this year. Although when you live in the midwest you begrudgingly understand winter often likes to linger or reappear well beyond it's meteorological end date. Which means there is always the possibility April will have snow showers. More than the return of milder temperatures and a green landscape, I look forward to seeing stalks of fresh rhubarb at the grocery store. Last summer one of my running friends gave me enough rhubarb to feed an army. And for once I did the responsible thing and froze more than half of it. Which meant this year I wasn't going to have to wait months to satisfy my rhubarb cravings. Being able to savor the taste of spring in the winter not only took a bit of the chill out of the air but it made the snow and cold slightly more tolerable. 

For those you who don't happen to have a stash of rhubarb in your freezer, you might be wondering (or maybe cursing) why in the heck am I sharing this recipe with you know now. Well, hear me out before you stop reading. Besides being barely able to contain my excitement at the surprising deliciousness of the rhubarb and raspberry combination along with the off chance that some of you have rhubarb in your freezer too, I wanted you to have this recipe now so you could make it the first day rhubarb arrives in the markets or is ready for harvest in your garden. Because after you make it the first time, it's likely to be something you put on repeat well beyond rhubarb season. Which is my way of saying, freezing bags of rhubarb this year will be one of those decisions you will never regret. 

Sweet, ripe raspberries temper the tartness of rhubarb in such a divinely, delightful way, I think it rivals the classic strawberry-rhubarb combination. If, by some chance, you have lived a rhubarb-free life, this Rhubarb and Raspberry Crisp should be how you experience it for the first time. Or, if you grew up eating so much rhubarb you now refuse to eat it, this crisp is the one to make you VERY glad you gave it another chance.

If there was ever a crisp worthy of being both a casual weeknight/weekend dinner or a dinner party dessert, this Rhubarb and Raspberry Crisp would be a serious contender. Especially when served with some really creamy vanilla ice cream.

There are essentially two parts to the crisp: the topping and the filling. Both come together easily and quickly. Some crisp toppings are made with room temperature butter cut into the flour, oats, sugar and salt. But this one is made with melted butter. Which means it can be made on a whim. And without having to remember to take the butter out of the refrigerator the night before or early in the day. In addition to the more customary crisp ingredients, there are coarsely chopped pecans. The nuts not only add both crunch and sweet, buttery flavor to the topping, they take it from a good to great level!

I used frozen rhubarb when making this crisp (and it worked great), but will shift to using fresh rhubarb when it starts showing up in the market. The recommended amount of sugar to use in the filling is a half-cup (plus one tablespoon). The sugar adds sweetness and helps to counteracts the tart/sour flavor of the rhubarb. If your rhubarb is more green than red you may need to increase the amount of sugar to 2/3 cup to help temper the green rhubarb's slightly sharper flavor. Conversely, if you are cutting up mostly red rhubarb stalks, you might want to reduce the sugar to a generous 1/3 cup. The amount of sugar to add to a rhubarb mixture isn't an exact science. It's more trial and error and more personal preference. 

The three tablespoons of cornstarch will help to thicken the juices released from the fruit. To help evenly distribute the cornstarch, I recommend mixing it first with the sugar and Kosher salt, before adding it to the fruit mixture.

I used a deep 9" pie dish to make for a pretty presentation. Although the crisp could have easily been made in a 9" cast iron pan for a more refined rustic one. The crisp is baked in a preheated 375 degree (F) oven for 50-60 minutes (or until the filling is bubbling and has thickened). From start to finish, it takes less than ninety minutes to be ready to devour!

Allowing the crisp to rest 10-15 minutes before serving will also help tighten up the filling a bit more. Serve the Rhubarb and Raspberry Crisp either warm (my favorite way to eat it) or at room temperature. Either way everyone is bound to be scraping their bowls to get every last morsel. If there are any leftovers, indulge your sweet tooth, reheat it in the microwave and have a bowl for breakfast!

If there was ever an easy to assemble, simple dessert to lessen the winter doldrums, this Rhubarb and Raspberry Crisp would be it. Bursting with sweet, tart, flavor notes and having a buttery, crunchy texture, this crisp is destined to make your taste buds deliriously happy, be a crowd pleaser and become one of your most favorite recurrent rhubarb recipes! 

Recipe

Rhubarb and Raspberry Crisp

Serves at least 8

Ingredients

Topping

1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour

1 cup (100g) old-fashioned oats 

1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

8 Tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup (62g) pecan halves, coarsely chopped and divided

Rhubarb and Raspberry Filling

1-2 Tablespoons of room temperature butter (to coat the baking dish)

4 cups (500g) rhubarb, cut into 1" pieces

3 cups (360g) fresh raspberries

1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar, plus a Tablespoon to sprinkle on before adding the topping

3 slightly rounded Tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from a half of lemon)

Vanilla Ice Cream, for serving

Directions

Topping

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar, salt, half of the pecans. Stir until blended. 

2. Mix in the melted butter and create a mixture having a consistency of coarse crumbs. Squeeze the mixture with your fingertips to create a tighter dough.

3. Place in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

Filling and Assembly

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F). Lightly butter a 9" baking dish or cast iron pan.

2. Mix the cornstarch, sugar, and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.

3. In a medium-large bowl, toss the rhubarb, raspberries, and lemon juice together. 

4. Mix in the sugar mixture and toss to combine. Transfer the filling to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle on tablespoon of sugar over the top.

5. Top with the crisp topping and the remaining pecans. Put the baking dish on a baking pan and place in the preheated oven.

6. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the filling is thick and bubbly and the crisp top is golden. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. Note: Check for doneness at the 45 minute mark.

7. Serve either warm or at room temperature. Top each serving with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.