Thursday, May 8, 2008

Cardamom scented Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp


Oh joy, the rhubarb is ready to be pulled at the farm! It's really gorgeous this year, and I could hardly wait until it was finally mature. I came home with a large bunch a couple of days ago and have been debating on what to make. I decided to make a crisp, and naturally use some of our strawberries as well. I had seen Dorie Greenspan's recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Double Crisp, in Baking with Dorie. I loved her idea of using some of the topping from the crisp as a crust hence the "double crisp". Cause that's the best part!! She uses crystallized ginger in her recipe which I didn't have on hand, but sounds great. I did have cardamom and wanted to try it in the crumble. I also thought that orange zest in the filling would be good. Lately I have been attempting to try baking with different flavor combos than just the ones I grew up eating. I don't know that using cardamom in rhubarb crisp is really going out on a limb, but it's a little different for me.
I used Dorie's recipe a a guide but made a few changes.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
Pinch of cardamom
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the Filling:
1 pound (4-5 medium stalks) rhubarb, trimmed and peeled
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
3 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon orange zest

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350ºF. Put a nonreactive 9-inch square baking pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicon mat. I made half of the crisp in individual ramekins and put the rest into a small baking dish. Be sure to put them on the baking sheet because the crisp will cook out onto your oven!

Put the flour, brown sugar, oats, ground ginger, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl and sift the ingredients through your fingers to blend them, be on the lookout for lumps in the brown sugar. Mix in the nuts and then pour over the melted butter. Using a fork, stir the ingredients until they are thoroughly moistened. Spoon half the mixture into the pan and pat it down lightly to form a thick crust. Set the remainder aside for the topping.

For the filling: Slice the rhubarb into 1/2-inch wide pieces and scatter them over the pressed in base. Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water; set aside. Put the strawberries, sugar, and ginger in a medium saucepan and, with a fork, pastry blender, or potato masher, crush the berries. Place the pan over medium heat and, stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to a full boil. Pour the dissolved cornstarch into the pan and, stirring with a whisk, bring everything back to a boil. Keep cooking and stirring until the strawberry filling is thick and no longer cloudy, about 3 minutes. Pull the pan from the heat, and pour the filling over the rhubarb. Scatter the remaining crisp mix over the filling.

Slide the crisp into the oven and bake for 60 minutes for the large crisp, or about 35 for the individual ramekins, or until the topping is golden and the strawberry jam is bubbling up all around the edges. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool until only just warm or at room temperature. Serve with freshly whipped cream or your favorite ice cream.

12 comments:

Deborah said...

Yum - that looks fantastic!

glamah16 said...

I wish my guy liked Rhubarb.But he doesnt eat many sweets anyway so I could make this and have it all to myself.

LisaRene said...

Lovely dessert! It is a great idea to put the "crisp" on the bottom as well as the top. I never tried it because I assumed that the bottom would get soggy. I agree the "crisp" is the best part.

Love the spice combination!

RecipeGirl said...

Oh rhubarb... I'm seeing it everywhere. I guess I'll have to eventually take the plunge and bake with the stuff. I never have!! Your choice looks great. I have a fondness for cardamom, too!

Gretchen Noelle said...

This looks just delicious. Makes me so wish that they grew rhubarb here in Peru!

test it comm said...

That looks really good. I like the use of the ginger and cardamom!

imjustatree said...

hello...came across your site from citrus recipes. i only have had rhubarb once..and it was either in some kind of icecream/gelato or crumble with it..i really can't remember. anyhow i made the crumble today for my mom and dad and it came out well..maybe i could have added some more caradamom...i had never known about it before...it isn't too sweet...partly i think because i added a little bit less sugar and the strawberries weren't very good quality, but overall, i'm pleased with my results. thank you for sharing!

Anonymous said...

it's glorious in it's extreme oozey stickiness.

cardamom is my new favorite spice.

Tarah at Genesis of a Cook said...

Good thing I saw this. I have strawberries that I've been trying to figure out what to do with. I now know!

Looks delicious!

Anonymous said...

This looks fantastic! I have never made anything with rhubab and I've been seeing it a lot lately in the blogosphere. Maybe it is the time to try my hands on it.

Anonymous said...

That second picture looks TOO good with the gooeyness of the rhubarb mixture. Yum, nice job!

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Rosie said...

Oh my goodnes this looks so good and such comfort food - a wonderful dessert :)

Rosie x