There are some foods that just taste like summer. Corn on the cob. S'mores. Freshly-squeezed lemonade. But the food I associate most with my favorite season of the year is rhubarb.
My mom used to grow a patch of bright red rhubarb in our backyard every summer. She used it in countless pies, cobblers and crisps - and my brother and I always begged for seconds. Since then, no other summer dessert has come close to stacking up. My brother actually requested a strawberry rhubarb pie instead of a birthday cake this year. For us, it tastes like home and happiness.
While I love a good pie, this strawberry rhubarb crisp is my favorite way to enjoy the summer plant. It's easier to tackle than a homemade pie crust, but equally as delicious. The butter, sugar and flour melt together and bubble up into a crispy, sweet crust. And it's the perfect vessel for freshly-churned ice cream. If that doesn't scream summer, I don't know what does.
Ingredients
- 2 cups rhubarb, chopped
- 2 cups strawberries, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon cold butter, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch glass baking dish and set aside.
- Combine rhubarb and strawberries in a large bowl. Pour mixture into the bottom of the baking dish.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt until combined.
- Take 1/3 cup of butter and cut into pea-sized pieces. Use a pastry cutter or knife to combine it with sugar mixture, mixing until crumbly.
- Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over strawberry and rhubarb. Cut the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter into small pieces and sprinkle on top of sugar layer.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until golden-brown and bubbling. Let cool at least ten minutes before serving.
