As Promised, a Baking Post. Strawberry Rhubarb Double Crumble with Orange and Mint
[blog blog blog blog long-winded backstory blog blog tangent, blog......recipe. Just kidding; I wouldn't do that to you.]
Long-time Twitter followers know I bake, cook, and mix cocktails when the vibes are right.
I detest long-winded food blog backstories, so I will just say that I made this Strawberry Rhubarb Double Crumble with Orange and Mint for Independence Day and it was a big hit with both sides of the family. If you, too, were gifted an armload of garden rhubarb from your neighbor with a color and sheen that would make a macaw envious and a sweetness you definitely can't get from a grocery store, I suggest you try it. It is a modification of a recipe found here. I added orange and mint, later described by my sister as “so vibrant,” because I was aiming for a dessert that was memorable and summery. I believe that is exactly what I got.
Crumble
2 cups of flour
1/2 cups almond flour (or just all-purpose flour if you don’t have it)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar (well broken—no clumps)
14 Tbsp COLD butter (you will grate it into the dry mixture)
2-3 Tbsp reserved juices from the strawberry rhubarb mixture
1/2 tsp vanilla (to mix into the juices before sprinkling into mixture)
Granola Crisp (the “double” part)
2/3 cup quick oats or coarsely chopped old-fashioned
1/3 cup chopped almond (or slivered if you’re lazy)
2-3 Tbsp honey or to taste
2 Tbsp melted butter
Pinch of salt
1 Tbsp flour or corn starch if it seems too wet
Filling
3 cups chopped rhubarb (about 1/2 inch)
2 quarts strawberries, halved or thirded depending on size
Juice of half a large orange or one small satsuma or mandarin
zest of half a large orange or one small satsuma or mandarin
Small handful of mint, finely chopped (I used a variety called “apple mint” from my garden)
1 cup of granulated sugar (or more, to taste. Rhubarb recipes never call for enough sugar).
1/3 cup cornstarch
Pinch of salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a casserole dish (9x13 or similar) or line with foil so the foil comes up an inch above the edge to prevent spillage as it bubbles. Or you can line a cookie sheet with foil and set it underneath your casserole dish if you forgot like I did.
Prep your granola-like double crisp first by mixing all ingredients together. Set aside.
Assemble your wet ingredients (minus the sugar and corn starch—save that for after you’re done with your crumble).
Whisk dry ingredients together. Then get your cold butter and GRATE IT into the dry mixture, pausing now and then to gently fold the grated butter into the flour mixture. This is how I make scone dough and it provides more of a “rough-puff pastry” kind of rise and texture that I prefer to the texture achieved with melted butter.
Add the sugar and cornstarch to your strawberry rhubarb mixture, mix it gently, and then work on dishes or cleaning counters for a few minutes while it begins to macerate. Give it 5 or 10 minutes, come back and strain out a few tablespoons of that juice into a cup. Add the vanilla to it, then sprinkle it into the crumble mixture. You can add a bit more if you really feet it is too dry, but crumble toppings are supposed to be crumbly, because the evaporating juices from the filling will rise through the crumble and moisten it. If it’s too wet, you’ll get a soggy middle and overcooked filling.
Assemble your Double Crumble. Pour the filling in, sprinkle on the crumble in handfuls, squishing it in your hands before dropping it onto the filling. DO NOT put the granola crisp on right now or it will burn.
Stick it in the oven for 35-40 minutes, preferably middle rack. Then pull it out, sprinkle on your granola topping, and put it back in for however long it takes for it to bubble nice and slow like the real estate market when interest rates aren’t too low. Keep an eye on the granola crisp. If it’s golden brown but your crumble isn’t done yet (check the middle with a fork to see if it’s still doughy), lay a piece of foil over the top but don’t crimp the edges. You want to let moisture escape.
Take it out, let it cool, and then serve with vanilla ice cream. Preferably an ice cream that is real ice cream, and not “frozen dairy dessert.” I’m ashamed to say I’ve made this mistake more than once. Garnish your creation with tiny springs of mint or individual leaves, the smaller the better.
If you make this, let me know your thoughts in the comments. Also, share your own similar recipes!
This has been an occasional issue of Baking with Georgi. If you want to see occasional brief issues of Cooking and Mixing with Georgi, like this post.