The perfect spring and summer dessert. Serve at peak rhubarb season, topped with ice cream or vanilla custard. It’s sweet, tart, and generally heavenly.
There’s something about rhubarb that just screams summer, am I right? I mean apart from the obvious reason that it is only really freshly available through spring and summer in the Northern Hemisphere. There’s a wild freshness to it and it’s absolutely beautiful.
Looking a kind of like overgrown rainbow chard, rhubarb is a surprising plant. Unlike chard, rhubarb’s foliage is poisonous, so only the pinkish-red stalks are eaten. And, although technically a vegetable, it is popularly classified as a fruit due to its uses, which are primarily in desserts.
My favorite way of preparing rhubarb is to make a very simple, but utterly delicious crumble with it. It’s the perfect summer dessert, a little tart, a little sweet, light if you want it – or served decadently with vanilla custard, ice cream or whipped cream.
How to Make Rhubarb Crumble
1. Preheat the Oven
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas Mark 6).
2. Prepare the Crumble Topping
- In a medium bowl, mix together the spelt flour, 1/3 cup sugar, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
- Add the cold butter pieces to the bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Mix in half of the ground almonds and set aside.
3. Prepare the Oven Dish
- Sprinkle the remaining ground almonds over the bottom of a medium-sized oven dish.
4. Prepare the Fruit Filling
- In a large bowl, mix the sliced rhubarb and diced apples together with 3 tablespoons of sugar.
- Spoon the fruit mixture evenly into the prepared oven dish.
5. Assemble and Bake the Crumble
- Cover the fruit mixture with the crumble topping, spreading it evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and the fruit is bubbling.
6. Serve
- Serve the rhubarb crumble warm, either on its own or with vanilla custard or ice cream.
Recipe Notes
- Butter Tips: Ensure the butter is cold to achieve the perfect crumbly texture.
- Fruit Options: You can substitute or mix the rhubarb and apples with other fruits like berries or pears.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the crumble topping in advance and store it in the fridge for a quick assembly later.
How to Make Rhubarb Crumble
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
The perfect spring and summer dessert. Serve at peak rhubarb season, topped with ice cream or vanilla custard.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups spelt flour (150 g)
- 1/3 cup sugar (75 g), plus 3 Tbsp more (30 g)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 4 oz cold butter, cut into pieces (100 g)
- 3/4 cup ground almonds, divided (100 g)
- 1 lb rhubarb, sliced into inch-long segments (500 g)
- 1/2 lb peeled and diced apples (250 g)
Instructions
1. Preheat the Oven
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas Mark 6).
2. Prepare the Crumble Topping
- In a medium bowl, mix together the spelt flour, 1/3 cup sugar, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
- Add the cold butter pieces to the bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Mix in half of the ground almonds and set aside.
3. Prepare the Oven Dish
- Sprinkle the remaining ground almonds over the bottom of a medium-sized oven dish.
4. Prepare the Fruit Filling
- In a large bowl, mix the sliced rhubarb and diced apples together with 3 tablespoons of sugar.
- Spoon the fruit mixture evenly into the prepared oven dish.
5. Assemble and Bake the Crumble
- Cover the fruit mixture with the crumble topping, spreading it evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and the fruit is bubbling.
6. Serve
- Serve the rhubarb crumble warm, either on its own or with vanilla custard or ice cream.
Notes
- Butter Tips: Ensure the butter is cold to achieve the perfect crumbly texture.
- Fruit Options: You can substitute or mix the rhubarb and apples with other fruits like berries or pears.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the crumble topping in advance and store it in the fridge for a quick assembly later.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven Baking
- Cuisine: Scandinavian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 200g
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 60mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 31g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
To be honest Rhubarb Crumble was typical fare on my old school dinner menu circa 1979 and used to fill me with dread. But this recipe could well make me reconsider my position :)
I hope you do, it deserves it! :D
This looks like rhubarb heaven!
I assure you, it IS! :D
Thank you!
OK, this is truly a fantastic summer dessert!!