Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp — Baking With Colette

Hello Bakers,

Wow, life has changed. I hope you are doing well and are unscathed by the recent turn of events and this horrible virus. I

Thank God for baking - I suspect if you are reading this - baking is helping you get through. It is doing the same for me. Ingredients are getting more plentiful in my area and for that I am grateful. My AP and bread flour bins are full.

Vanilla has reappeared at Trader Joes and it’s a good vanilla.

I also found a credible vanilla at my nearby ‘99 cent store. In fact when there was nothing to be found for baking in my neighborhood, I got by with ingredients from the ‘99 cent store.

Pre Corona, I used to extravagantly pour Nielsen Massey vanilla bean paste out of a quart bottle in all those classes at Sur la Table. I took that endless supply for granted, I have to admit.

Well, today I have for you, a beautiful Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp for you. Does anyone remember the book Chez Panisse Desserts? This crisp is based on that classic recipe from Lindsey Shere’s excellent book.

Rhubarb has a short season unless you grow it and then it keeps going all summer. This can be made all strawberry or a berry mix if you are not a fan of rhubarb. Please try this - it’s so easy and delicious. You can count on serving seconds.

Happy Baking! Colette

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

8” or 11” x 7” Baking Dish - buttered

Oven 350 degrees

6 to 8 servings

Topping

1/2 cup (106g) Brown sugar

1 stick (113g) Butter, cut into pieces and chilled

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (128g) All purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup (43g) pecans

Filling

12 ounces rhubarb, cut into 1/2” piece

1 quart strawberries, hulled and quartered

1/2 cup (99g) sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoons (28g) flour

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

To make the topping:

This is the half way point…you can mix with your hands after it gets to this point.

In a medium size bowl combine brown sugar, salt, flour, cinnamon.
Add butter and using a bowl scraper or pastry blender cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it looks like coarse meal. Make sure no raw pieces of butter are visible. Toss in the pecans and combine

To make the filling:

Strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice, and flour.

In a large bowl toss together the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and flour until all the fruit is evenly coated.
Scoop the fruit into baking dish and spread in an even layer.
Sprinkle the topping over the fruit.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling and soft and the topping is golden brown. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.