Tuesday, May 31, 2011

(kinda-healthy) rhubarb-raspberry crisp

Fruit crisps are one of my favorite desserts to make and eat. With crisps, you don't have to worry about whether the batter will rise, or roll out dough, or wait for butter to soften to room temperature. Crisps are just a tumbling together of ingredients baked until bubbly--the best sort of baking for the often-distracted, improvisational, inexact cook. That is to say, me.

It's rhubarb season and in my mind, crisps are the perfect vehicle for this juicy, tart vegetable. (Yeah, it's  a vegetable, not a fruit. The more you know!) Strawberries are the classic pairing with rhubarb, but I have to say that I don't always like the texture of baked strawberries. They get a little slimy, you know? I wanted something different. And then I clicked over to Alejandra Ramos's delightful blog, Always Eat Dessert, and saw exactly what I was looking for: rhubarb-raspberry crisp.


The thing that sold me was the topping. Alejandra uses sliced almonds, oatmeal, brown sugar, and whole wheat flour binded together with a little melted butter. It made the dessert sound almost wholesome, almost breakfast-worthy. Which is how I ended up eating it for two days in a row, with Greek yogurt on top. Dan seemed deeply shocked by this, but really, it's fruit and granola, right?
Whether you eat it in the morning or night, the combination is perfect--tart, ruby red fruit with just the right amount of crunchy topping.

Rhubarb-raspberry crisp
Adapted, barely, from Always Order Dessert.
(Serves 6 to 8 people)

2 cups rhubarb, sliced in 1-inch pieces
2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen--I used frozen)
3/4 cup sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup sliced almonds (or another type of chopped nut)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or regular all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch glass or metal baking dish. (Alejandra recommends placing it on a large cookie sheet to catch any drips--I skipped this step and was fine.)

In a large bowl, combine the fruit, 3/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss until combined.

To prepare the topping, melt the 1/2 cup butter and let it cool slightly. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, almonds, flour, 1/2 cup sugar, spices, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and mix it well.

Pour the fruit mixture into the prepared baking dish and distribute the topping on top, using your hands to break it apart into crumbs. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the filling is bubbling and the top is golden and crisp. Let cool to room temperature, or until it is warm but not hot, about 30 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream, Greek yogurt, or as-is.

4 comments:

Run Fast Travel Slow said...

I love crisps... and any excuse to eat them for breakfast. I actually just posted a recipe for baked oatmeal with pear and toasted hazelnuts.

Casey@Good. Food. Stories. said...

Healthy schmealthy. I eat slices of straight-up pie for breakfast so there's DEFINITELY no shame in eating leftover crisp.

Daniel said...

As delicious as this was, I don't know if I can get behind eating it for breakfast--unless you flipped the ratio of fruit and crisp to Greek yogurt topping. Same with Casey's breakfast of champions: flip the ratio of pie to no-pie and you have a shame-free breakfast.

Anonymous said...

So delicious! I made a batch Sunday night and have been eating it ever since! Thanks, Lisa!
Kate

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