KimmyKokonut

From Kimmykokonut Blog Pictures

Oh, rhubarb.  The first fruit of spring.  The leaves and roots are toxic but the stems cook down to such a delicious tart treat.  My parents had a large patch of it so I was shocked to see how expensive it is in the store.  I planted a small crown a few years ago and this rainy spring it really took off!  I usually make this crisp the first go round, then my mom’s rhubarb bread.  Later this week I’ll make some muffins with them.

I love strawberry rhubarb pie but I find pie crust too fussy and this crisp comes together quick enough with a little one trying to pull your pants down while you bustle around the kitchen. I highly recommend making two. In my household one gets eaten too fast and there’s no room for blame with something so delicious as this. You can slice your fruit the night before if your time is limited, as I have discovered mine to be.

Enjoy!

From Kimmykokonut Blog Pictures

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 2.5 cups rhubarb, sliced 1/2″ thick or so
• 1/4 cup sugar (I like evaporated cane juice)
• 1/4 tsp cardamom (optional, I am a cardamom addict)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbl tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (or rice syrup or honey or sub the sweetener of your choice with my handy guide here)

• 1/3 cup butter/margarine
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup regular rolled oats
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or ap, but no one will know that it’s whole wheat, it’s surrounded by fat and sugar)
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 deg F.
2. Mix filling ingredients in a large bowl.  Transfer to a pie dish (the shallow ones, not the deep ones or your rhubarb will not be tender)
3. Cream butter and sugar in a medium bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and spread evenly over crisp filling.
4. Bake 30-35 minutes, until filling is bubbly and crisp is golden.
5. Cool (if you can wait…if not it will be a little watery but still delicious).

Enjoy!