Meet your new favorite summer dessert: strawberry-rhubarb crisp, a union of sweet-tart jammy fruit and an irresistibly buttery crisp topping. Summery, festive, and delicious — strawberries and rhubarb have never been so happy together!
Like basil and tomatoes, apples and cinnamon, peanut butter and chocolate, rhubarb and strawberries are meant to be together.
Arguably, they’re better together. At least in their cooked forms.
Here, strawberries and rhubarb bake together beneath a buttery, shortbread-like topping until the fruit softens, becoming jammy in texture, the sweetness of the strawberries balancing the tartness of the rhubarb, the meltingly soft rhubarb buoying the bursts of juicy strawberries.
What I love about a crisp is its simple assembly, and this one is no exception: first, you’ll zest a lemon into the sugar, which releases the oils in the zest, heightening the lemon flavor. Next, you’ll toss this lemony sugar with the fruit before transferring it to its baking dish and crumbling over the topping, which comes together in seconds in a food processor. Into the oven it goes, and 45 minutes later, when the rosy fruit bubbles beneath the golden brown topping, it’s done.
Vanilla ice cream alongside is a must. Find step-by-step instructions below.
Next, gather your ingredients for the crisp topping: flour, almond flour (see recipe box if you don’t have almond flour), sugar, salt, baking powder, and butter.
Place the dry ingredients in a food processor:
Run the machine until the ingredients are well blended, then add the butter:
Purée again, until the mixture begins clumping:
Spread the topping over the berries in the baking dish:
Then bake for 45-50 minutes or until the topping is browned to your liking and the fruit is bubbling:
Let cool briefly, then serve with vanilla ice cream:
Baking vessel: I’ve been making this in this 10.5-inch tart pan. You can use something similar or a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Almond Flour: If you don’t have almond flour, you can grind whole almonds (56 grams) in the food processor prior to adding the remaining dry ingredients. Alternatively, you can simply use 56 grams more flour.
For the filling:
1 pound (453 grams) strawberries
1 pound (453 grams) rhubarb, leaves removed
1/2 cup (1oo grams) sugar
1 lemon
1 tablespoon (8 grams) cornstarch
pinch salt
For the topping:
3/4 cup (96 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder
1/2 cup (56 grams) almond flour, see notes above
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) cold, unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch cubes
For serving:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Prepare the fruit: Hull and quarter the strawberries. (Note: To Hull the strawberries, I take a small paring knife and run it around the base of the stem, pointed in at an angle, ultimately removing a cone-shaped area.) Cut the rhubarb into 1/2-inch thick slices.
Make the filling: Place the 1/2 cup of sugar in a large bowl. Zest the lemon into the sugar, then rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers. Transfer the fruit to the bowl. Add the cornstarch and a pinch of salt. Using your hands or a large spoon, toss until everything is well combined. Transfer the filling to a 9- or 10-inch baking dish (see notes above) or 9×13-inch baking pan.
Make the crisp topping: Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, almond flour, and salt in a food processor. Purée until the dry ingredients are combined. Add the butter and purée again just until the mixture begins to clump — it will be mostly smooth. Crumble the topping over the fruit.
Bake the crisp: If you are using a 9- or 10-inch baking dish, place the dish on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Transfer to the oven, and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the crisp topping is browned and the fruit is bubbling.
Serve: Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then serve with vanilla ice cream.
