Friday, May 30, 2008

crumbelievable

There's this commercial--I don't think it's even on TV anymore--for these gross-looking pre-crumbled bits of Kraft cheese. The jingle is EMF's (I had to look that up) song You're Unbelievable except the song goes, "You're crumbeliveable!" And it really does sound like the guy from EMF is singing it. Anyway, every time the commercial came on Dan and I would dance around and yell "You're soo crumbelievable!" Yes, we have a very fun household.

Which brings me to my strawberry-rhubarb crumble, also made for Jamie's birthday. It is quite crumbelievable. (Oh!)


I admit this is not exactly a glamour shot above, but that's really the whole point of this dessert. Fruit crumbles (or crisps) are the opposite of fussy which makes them great for dinner parties. No cake knives, or fingerprints in the frosting, or having to make sure each person's serving is exactly the same size. They are easy to stick in the oven and bake while everyone is eating dinner, so they emerge hot and bubbly just as people are starting to finish up. You can use whatever fruit you have on hand, but since rhubarb season is quickly coming to an end it's the perfect time for this particular recipe.

I originally found this recipe in Diner Journal, a neat little quarterly by the folks who run Williamsburg's Diner and Marlow & Sons restaurants. The magazine has a very handmade-by-hipsters feel, but somehow manages to not be annoying and always has at least a handful of recipes that I make and like.

Strawberry rhubarb crumble
(Serves 4-6 people)

For the crumble:
4 cups rhubarb, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
4 cups strawberries, quartered
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
juice of 1/2 lemon
pinch salt

For the topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks cold butter, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
2 tsp. orange zest (optional, but really makes a difference)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the rhubarb and strawberries in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients and lemon juice and mix until combined. Place the fruit in a baking dish. To make the topping, place the ingredients in a food processor and process until the butter is pea-sized. Or just mix by hand. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is browned. When cool enough to eat, serve with ice cream (strawberry, vanilla, or cinnamon would be great) or Greek yogurt mixed with a little honey.

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