Raspberry-Rhubarb Crumble with Almonds

June 24, 2014 at 5:25 pm | Posted in cobbler/crisp/shorties, sweet things | 9 Comments
Tags: baking, dessert, fruit

Have you already moved on from rhubarb for the year? I haven’t– it’s one of my absolute favorites, and I’m happy to pick up a pound from the Greenmarket every week till it disappears. Right now, I’m in that glorious overlap moment when I can find rhubarb and raspberries at the same time. Why is strawberry-rhubarb the combo that gets all the love? Raspberry-rhubarb bakes up deliciously. Raspberries are often less sweet than strawberries, but I’ve always liked to keep my rhubarb desserts on the tart side anyway. And that hot pink color…I’d paint my whole house that color if it wouldn’t look like (ummm) questionable things might be going on inside.

I’m embarrassed to admit that I’m confused about the difference between a crumble and a crisp (I guess we didn’t cover that in pastry school), but I do know that they are both easier than pie- truly- and, I think, just as tasty. Flipping through Tina Nordstrom’s charming latest book Tina Nordström’s Scandinavian Cooking, which is less a tome of traditional Scandinavian recipes and more a collection of tasty things from around the world she likes to cook in her Swedish kitchen, I saw a recipe for Raspberry Crumble with Almonds that I knew would work with the addition of rhubarb (and a bit of extra sugar). The sweetness of the crumbly (and crisp!) topping balances the fruit nicely. You can probably further tinker with the recipe quite successfully, if you’d like. Swap the vanilla flavoring for cardamom, use oats instead of almonds, and so on. The one thing I wouldn’t mess with, though, is the ball of ice cream on top. That’s a given, at least at my house.

Raspberry-Rhubarb Crumble with Almonds- serves 6
adapted from Tina Nordström’s Scandinavian Cooking by Tina Nordström

Steph’s Notes: The original recipe in the book is for a straight-up raspberry crumble. If you want to make this without the rhubarb, use 500g raspberries (fresh or frozen) and cut back both the white sugar and the vanilla sugar in the fruit by half (leave the topping as-is). If you don’t have vanilla sugar, replace with an equal amount of granulated sugar and a dash of vanilla extract. I like to keep the fruit on the tart side, since the topping’s quite sweet, but if you know you’d like your rhubarb sweeter, add up to a couple of extra tablespoons of sugar to the fruit mixture.

for the crumb topping
3/4 cup, plus 1 1/2 tbsp (115 g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup (100 g) coarsely chopped or slivered almonds
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
pinch of salt
5 1/3 tbsp (75 g) unsalted butter, room temp

for the fruit mixture
about 1/2 lb (250 g) rhubarb, cut into 1″ lengths
about 1/2 lb (250 g) raspberries, fresh or frozen
4 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp vanilla sugar

-Start by making the crumb topping. Combine all dry ingredients for the topping in a medium bowl, and use your fingers to mix it all together with the butter. I like a combination of some clumps and some sandy crumbs. Put the topping in the fridge or freezer while you preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

-For the filling, toss the rhubarb pieces, raspberries, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla sugar directly in the bottom of a greased ceramic or glass baking pan, 8-10″ in diameter (22-24 cm).

-Sprinkle the chilled topping evenly over the fruit mixture. Bake until topping turns golden and juices are bubbling, about 35-40 minutes, turning at the halfway point. If you notice that your topping is browning too quickly, turn the heat down to 350°F for the remainder of the baking time.

-Let cool on a wire rack at least 30 minutes before serving.

Please note that the publisher, Skyhorse Publishing, sent me a copy of this book.

9 Comments »

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My grandma always made us rhubarb-strawberry pie in the summer. Despite my fond memories pie crust is not my forte. Now this, I can handle! Thanks for sharing, I can’t wait to try it.

Comment by 4 Sons 'R' Us— June 24, 2014 #

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Love the combination with raspberries! Unexpected, and I can’t wait to try it. And you’re right – that color! It’s like the deepest rose-amaranth shade, so gorgeous. I always wish I had a lipstick that color 🙂

Comment by saffronandhoney— June 24, 2014 #

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Must be good and healthy!! yummy!!!

Comment by Cucina con Fabiola— June 26, 2014 #

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What a great combo, fantastic colour and wonderful taste!
I am deeply in love with crumbles (or crisps) and I have just made one with plums and oats

I love rhubarb as well though I can’t find it in Italy

ciao
Silvia

Comment by la Greg— June 26, 2014 #

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Beautiful photo! And I like this dessert-simple and really tasty!

Comment by milkandbun— June 27, 2014 #

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Rhubarb is so under used, I love this idea! can’t wait to try it! Thanks!

Comment by vegashungrygirl— July 11, 2014 #

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I made this yesterday and we all loved it. I’m going to make it again tomorrow and this time swap the vanilla flavoring for cardamom.

Comment by Jeff @ Cheese-burger.net— July 14, 2014 #

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- awesome–thanks for letting me know! you’ll probably only need 1/4 tsp or so of cardamom…a little goes a long way.
  
  Comment by steph (whisk/spoon)— July 15, 2014 #
  
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I’m looking for a way to use the rhubarb my husband is growing. This might just be it! It looks delicious.

Comment by jora— July 22, 2014 #

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