Apple-Rhubarb Crisp
After making last week’s Apple-Rhubarb Galette, I still had a pound of rhubarb and some of those wintered-over apples left. I could, of course, have made a second galette, but the gourmand inside me wanted something different, just for the sake of experimenting. I thought, “the apples and rhubarb combination was so good in a galette, I’m willing to bet it will be just as good in other forms.” I was not disappointed by this hypothesis.
I decided to go away from the more complicated ministrations required by pastry crust, and opt for a simple crisp: chopped or sliced fruit tossed with a little sugar, topped with a mixture of oats, butter, sugar, and spices, and baked until the topping is crisp. Thus, the name “crisp.” Just about anything can become a crisp: apples, pears, peaches, blueberries, cherries – anything that would perform in a pie will perform equally well with a basic crisp topping, and the combinations are endless.
I love crisps because they are rustic and unrefined, as are bettys and crumbles. They are unpretentious, and perfect for the freshest seasonal orchard fruits – the kind that need little help. Also, they do not “feel” like dessert, necessarily – the oatmeal makes them a more than acceptable breakfast.
I mixed this up in no time, popped it into the oven for a requisite hour’s worth of baking time, and served it warm with (what else?) vanilla ice cream. I ate the rest for breakfast with a little raw cream.
Apple-Rhubarb Crisp
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a deep pie dish or casserole, toss together:
1 pound rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1″ to 1-1/2″ pieces
4 sweet apples, like Gala, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 cup raw sugar
In a separate bowl, sift together:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Using a pastry blender or two sharp paring knives, cut one stick chilled butter into the flour mixture, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1 cup rolled oats.
Spoon topping over fruit; place on center rack of oven and bake 55-60 minutes, until the fruit is fork-tender. Serve warm with ice cream, cream, or milk.
Yum! Can’t wait to try this. I love rhubarb and found some growing wild in the woods near where I live. But I love apple crisp too, so this will be a great combo.
I got this tip from Cook’s Illustrated, and I love it. If you like your crisp topping super crispy, and don’t want it to get sogged up by the fruit, you can spread the toping on a cookie sheet, and bake it by itself until very crunchy, like making granola. This also lets you make the topping more chunky, so you have big, crunchy clumps on top, rather than a thin layer.
After you bake the topping, set aside the tray of crunchies while the fruit bakes. When the fruit is done, add the crunchy topping and bake the whole thing for just a couple more minutes so it’s all nice and hot.
Since my hubby is a topping fiend, I double the amount of topping I make. Cooking it all spread out on a cookie sheet ensures it all gets nice and crispy. I also save some of the crunchies in a covered plastic container, because somehow when you get to the last few servings, most of the topping has disappeared.
Beth
“the more complicated ministrations required by pastry crust” … Kudos for working “ministrations” into a food post!
I like this phrase. You make the process sound so fancy, and oh so pretentious, unlike the simpler, more down-to-earth process of making a humble crisp.
(In a food blog, are we allowed to comment on language instead of food?)