rhubarb

Aside from the perfectly ripe nectarine or plum, my favorite fruit for any baked good is rhubarb. It’s naturally tart and easily transitions into a perfect combination of sweet & sour with the addition of something sweet, in this case, brown sugar. If the idea of rhubarb on its own is too pucker-inducing for you, feel free to add strawberries, blueberries, apricots, or a sweet apple variety to mix it up. 

There are a handful of flavors that go exceptionally well with rhubarb, so I would encourage you to think about what sounds exciting to you. Flavors like lemon, black pepper, ginger, rose, coconut, cardamom, cinnamon, and caramel are some of the first that pop to mind. In this version, I love bringing in elements of the Southwest in the form of lavender and red chile powder to the crisp topping. The floral notes from the lavender and the slight heat from the chile bounce off the bright fruit that has mellowed and melted into a decadent, slightly caramelized saucy delight.

Because the window for growing rhubarb outdoors is short, when I see it at the grocery store or the market it’s hard for me to pass up. It’s a fruit celebration of early spring and a reminder of the bounty of summer fruits ahead when rhubarb days will be a distant memory. When I make this at home we usually have it for dessert the first night with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream. As if that is not wonderful enough, the next morning we pull the leftovers out of the fridge and have it for breakfast with a spoon of greek yogurt and a drizzle of raw honey. I still can’t decide which is my favorite.

Rhubarb, Lavender and Red Chile Crisp

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The floral notes from the lavender and the slight heat from the chile bounce off the bright fruit that has mellowed and melted into this decadent, slightly caramelized rhubarb crisp.

• Author: Marianne Sundquist
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins
• Total Time: 1.25 hours
• Yield: 6 servings
• Category: dessert
• Method: baking
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units USM

for the filling:

• 1 T. butter
• 2# rhubarb, cut into 2” pieces
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1 orange, zested

for the crisp:

• 1 c. flour of your choice (All Purpose, coconut flour or almond flour)
• 2 t. ground cinnamon
• 2 t. New Mexico mild or medium red chile powder
• 2 t. ground dried culinary lavender
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 c. rolled oats
• 1/2 c. almond or pecan pieces
• 1/2 c. melted butter

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Butter a 9-10” baking dish, cast iron, or other oven-safe skillet.

In a large bowl mix together the rhubarb, brown sugar, and orange zest. Transfer this mixture to your buttered pan.

With your hands or a wooden spoon, stir together the flour, cinnamon, red chile powder, lavender, brown sugar, oats, nuts, and melted butter. With your hands, crumble this evenly over the top of the fruit.

Bake the crisp for around 50 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling and the top is golden brown. Let it cool for ten minutes before spooning it into bowls and serving.