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Friday, May 11, 2012

Rhubarb Crisp

You know how at Halloween, it's like incredibly important that you buy candy corn? Cause you just can't get it any day of the year.

It's a once a year opportunity.

Rhubarb is like that.
You can't got the the freezer section and buy frozen rhubarb. That'd be weird. But also awesome. 

What is it about rhubarb that makes it so wonderful? I think it's cause it's tart, like cherries, but since you only get it during the Spring/Summer it kinda makes it more special.

I do try to bag up some chopped rhubarb in my freezer so I don't have to wait another 9 months until I get some of this yumminess again.

And now, my friends, rhubarb season is back. Let's welcome it in with my favorite rhubarb recipe!

I love this recipe for two reasons. Firstly, it doesn't have strawberries or anything else in it. It's all about the rhubarb and man does it shine. Secondly, the crunchy topping is sweet and has some serious crunch. The filling is ooey gooey and warm, sweet and tart. What could be better?

It's addictive.

By the way. Do you know what rhubarb is??? It's a vegetable. It's a stalky plant. It also looks like red and green celery.

But it doesn't taste like celery. At all.
This is from my mom and dad's rhubarb plot. They, lovingly, brought me a bagfull last weekend.
You start with 4 cups of cleaned and chopped rhubarb. I just cut it into 1/2 inch slices.


Toss it in a medium to large saucepan with sugar, water, cornstarch and vanilla. Stir it together before you add heat, so that the cornstarch doesn't clump.

Then, just cook it until the liquid turns clearish. It will start to thicken at this point.

Pour this into a lightly greased 9x9 pan.

Now, let's make the crispy, crumbly topping!

I know you're excited....

Let's also pretend this photo is clear...

This is just flour, vanilla, oatmeal, brown sugar and melted butter. Stirred together until crumbly.
Sprinkle this on top of the rhubarb filling.

Now we bake.

That was easy, right?

The hardest part is waiting while it bakes. It bakes 30-40 minutes. I opt for a little longer cause I really like the top crispy. I wait until the oats are browned.

The corners get a little goopy and thick.

Goopy doesn't sound good, but it is. Take my word for it. It's like thick and sweet/tart.

Not like the candy, though.

That's lusciousness, right there.

Can you tell that I get a little obsessive about food?
Some of the topping gets thick and gooey in the filling. It gets kinda chewy. Then the top is crunchy and sweet.


You're going to want to eat this warm and you're going to want to eat it with ice cream.

Let the ice cream melt just a little into it.

Just do it, for me.

You'll thanks me later...
The Recipe
Rhubarb Crisp
1 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
Mix these ingredients until crumbly

Combine:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 Tbl cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups of rhubarb
Whisk together, then cook over medium high, stirring constantly until it's thick and clear.
Bake 375 for 30-40 minutes.

Top with crumb mixture. 

5 comments:

Jana said...

I've never even seen a rhubarb before. I don't think they sell them around here. But this looks DELISH.

Oh, and I think some of my comments on your other posts have been sent to your spam folder. I've been commenting lately, I swear! But they're all gone now. :(

Not that what I say is all that interesting...;)

JenMarie said...

I used to get rhubarb on occasion when I lived in Pensacola, FL. I'd keep an eye out for it. It's normally near the celery and other fresh veggies.
When I checked out, the cashier often didn't know what it was... so you should keep an eye out for it. If you like tart and sweet anyway.

I'll have to check my spam folder. I like your comments. :)

Kelly Ryan Watson said...

That.Looks.Great. It has been a while since I have had rhubarb. I love it. Unfortunately I gave up most of my sugars. Most is the key word in that sentence! I make exceptions when I see something like this. Moderation, right? Thanks for the recipe. I can't wait to try it!

JenMarie said...

Kelly- most of the time, I split the sugars and use half baking sweetener and half real sugar. The only thing to remember is that you won't get as much browning with baking sweetener. And yes, I only do these recipes on occasion. :)
I think I actually used some sweetener in this in place of sugar and didn't notice a difference.
Thanks for the comment!

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