Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Rhubarb Crumble with Apple Recipe
The one factor I make when rhubarb season arrives – rhubarb crumble! I like so as to add apple into mine so the filling isn’t simply baby-food-mush. Adore the tangy filling – there may be nothing else prefer it. Serving with ice cream is a MUST!
That is a kind of uncommon recipes the place I can’t provide flexibility – as a result of there isn’t a substitute for rhubarb! There’s nothing prefer it – the distinctive celery-like texture, brilliant purple color and signature tang. Even its cooking qualities are uncommon. It goes from apple-like crispy to very tender, with seemingly no in-between “tender crisp” such as you get with most fruit.
Which, I simply realised, may sound unappetising. 😂 However really, the softness when cooked is is what makes it such an incredible filling for a crumble. Although additionally, it’s the purpose why I like to mix it with apple, to offer it some a lot wanted texture.
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What it’s – A vegetable, however largely used for desserts! Appears like celery besides with purple stalks.
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Flavour – Tart, like lemon however much less bitter. You wouldn’t eat a pie stuffed with lemon flesh, approach too bitter! Whereas you’ll be able to, with rhubarb.
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Why folks like it – The putting color and distinctive tangy flavour, fast to cook dinner (laborious to tender in 5 minutes on the range), simple to prep (no peeling, simply lower the stalk).
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What it’s used for – Principally desserts. Crumble is a standard use – I’m so unoriginal, I do know. Both simply rhubarb, or mixed with different fruit – apple and strawberry are favourites. Why? Partially for texture (moderately than having a dish filled with simply very tender rhubarb which some folks – ahem, me – likens to child meals) and in addition maybe value (rhubarb is $5-$6 a bunch, you want 2 to make a rhubarb-only crumble).
It’s additionally used stewed, like a compote and jams, for adorning (suppose: purple stalks baked on high of truffles, muffins, pastries), tarts.
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How one can use it – Normally cooked, although might be eaten uncooked, I had it in salads. When cooked it’s tender, the tangy flavour is tempered and juicier.
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How one can cook dinner it – Baked, stewed. When cooked it’s so tender it doesn’t maintain its form when picked up. Chopped items breaks down right into a jam-like consistency inside 5 minutes on the range.
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When it’s in season – Reverse instances in reverse components of the world!
– Aust/NZ: late winter to spring (June – Sept)
– US/UK/northern hemisphere: spring to summer season (April – June)
– Compelled rhubarb: UK early selection, Jan – Mar. Grown at midnight moderately than open air. Extra tender, pink moderately than purple and juicier. Haven’t tried this crumble recipe with it because it doesn’t exist in Australia. Suspect changes required together with much less sugar and juice thickener. Recommend utilizing Nigella’s pressured rhubarb crumble recipe as a substitute. -
Grows like a weed. Un-killable, I’m informed. Strive planting some!
See the part above for rhubarb chatter. This part will cowl all the things else!
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Rhubarb – Chatter per above. You will have one large bunch, about 10 – 12 stalks. Typically the bunches are small and dismal so rummage round for the largest and finest. Search for celery-like agency stems, not floppy dehydrated ones (juice-less). You want 4 1/2 – 5 cups as soon as the stems are lower. In case you’re a bit of quick, that’s okay. The crumble will nonetheless work nice! You may additionally go a bit of extra too.
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Granny Smith (inexperienced apples) – As famous above, I like mixed rhubarb with one other fruit to offer some texture to the filling. In any other case it’s only a large dish of very tender rhubarb which has a texture like apple puree if you eat it.
Granny Smith is my selection for its tartness (matches the rhubarb) and skill to carry its form when cooked.
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Sugar – To steadiness the tang of the rhubarb and inexperienced apple, and to create a syrup with the juices.
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Orange zest – Elective! Provides a bit of citrus zing.
No syrup thickener – Early variations of rhubarb crumble used cornflour/cornstarch or flour to thicken the juices I anticipated to come back out of the rhubarb because it baked. However really, rhubarb isn’t as juicy as apple, strawberry, peach and different fruits I exploit in crumbles and cobbler recipes. So it made the filling pasty moderately than making a syrup sauce. Seems, you don’t want it. The vast majority of the juiciness of rhubarb stays contained in the barely-holding-together cooked rhubarb items that bursts out in your mouth if you chew into it!
Crumble topping
This crumble topping has much less butter in it than my traditional apple crumble topping so it’s crisper. Purpose: the extra buttery crumble steals the juice from the rhubarb which a) makes the topping “doughy” on the underside and b) rhubarb filling lacks juice. It took a number of iterations (“the crumble is pasty!!” 😝) earlier than we figured this out!!
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Roll oats – Simply common oats. Not metal lower, not fast cook dinner.
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Brown sugar – For higher caramely flavour and color for the topping. However might be substituted with white sugar.
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Butter – For buttery goodness and the moist ingredient that brings the crumble combination collectively.
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Baking powder – To present the topping a little bit of carry, in any other case it’s a little too rock laborious!
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Flour – Plain/white flour. Almond meal works nicely as a gluten free substitute.
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Cinnamon – Necessary in just about each crumble I make!
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Salt – Only a pinch, to deliver out the flavours.
Good and straightforward. Rhubarb is very easy to organize!
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Rhubarb – Wash the rhubarb stems. Trim off the soiled finish. Then lower into 4cm / 1.5″ even lengths. Discard the leaves – they shouldn’t be eaten.
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Toss the rhubarb with apple items, sugar and orange zest in a big bowl. Then unfold in a 30 x 20cm baking dish (12 x 8″).
Baking pan measurement – In case you don’t have a pan of this measurement, go smaller moderately than bigger. If the pan is just too large, then the filling layer will get too skinny and might be rather less juicy than supreme (the crumble topping absorbs a few of juices).
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Crumble topping – Put all of the crumble topping components in a bowl and blend till you now not see flour. As famous above within the components part, this combination has much less butter than my traditional crumble topping. So that you’ll want to combine a bit of longer. Smear up the edges of the bowl and use a reducing movement as wanted to get all of it blended up.
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Chunky bits! Seize handfuls of the crumble combination and enclose in your first to press collectively. Then use your fingers to interrupt into clumps to cowl the floor.
Why I do that unusual step? Couple of causes! Firstly, as talked about earlier, rhubarb is much less juicy than typical fruits utilized in crumbles (like apple) so I don’t need sandy crumble topping falling into the rhubarb and stealing the valuable juices. It makes the filling pasty, as I discovered firsthand.
Secondly, the topping for rhubarb crumble is sandier (for causes outlined within the components part) however I nonetheless need the crumbly chunks for crunch moderately than a layer of dry sand. Resolution? Scrunch in arms, then crumble. Simple! 🙂
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Cowl floor with the crumble combination.
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Bake for 35 minutes till the crumble topping is golden, the rhubarb is tender and also you see purple juices effervescent up the edges. Poke the rhubarb with a butter knife to test! Typically, firmer and thicker items of rhubarb can take an additional 5 minutes however 35 minutes is persistently the proper bake time for me.
Relaxation for five minutes earlier than serving. This let’s it settle down barely in addition to giving the juices an opportunity to thicken barely.
With each crumble recipe I’ve shared, I very strongly advocate serving with ice cream – or custard.
With rhubarb crumble, it’s not a robust suggestion. It’s a should! The tartness of the filling calls for one thing creamy to steadiness it out. And in addition, the filling isn’t as juicy and syrupy as different crumble fillings as a result of, as I’ve repeated a weird variety of instances all through this submit, rhubarb simply isn’t as juicy as different crumble fruits like apple, strawberry, peaches and so forth.
So I’m not urging you to serve with ice cream or custard. I’m making it obligatory. Please promise me you received’t skip it! 🙂 – Johnsat x
Ingredients
- 500g/ 4 1/2 cups rhubarb stems , cut into 4cm / 1.5" pieces (1 large bunch rhubarb, 10 – 12 stems, cleaned, DISCARD LEAVES) – Note 1
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 3 Granny Smith apples (~600g/1.2lb whole) , peeled and cut 1.5cm / 3/5" cubes, ~3 cups/450g once cut (Note 2)
- Zest of 1 orange , optional but recommended
- 1 cup rolled oats (not quick or steel cut)
- 1 cup flour , plain/all purpose
- 3/4 cup (tightly packed) brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 90g/ 6 tbsp unsalted butter , melted
- Pinch of salt
- Vanilla ice cream – or pouring custard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C/375°F (180°C fan).
- Filling: Place rhubarb, apple, sugar and orange zest in a large mixing bowl and toss well. Spread evenly in a 30 x 20cm baking dish (12 x 8") (Note 3)
- Crumble topping: Place topping ingredients in a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated (use cutting motion/ smearing up wall, as needed). It will be a sandy mixture.
- Scrunch & top: Grab handfuls of crumble and enclose your fist to press into lumps. Break into clumps and scatter over the filling. (Note 4 explains this unusual step!).
- Bake for 35 minutes or until rhubarb is soft and the crumble is golden brown. (Bake time – Note 5)
- Rest & serve: Remove from the oven, rest for 5 minutes. Scoop into bowls and serve with vanilla ice cream or custard!
Notes
1. Rhubarb season – Aust/NZ: late winter to spring (June – Sept), US/UK/northern hemisphere: spring to summer (April – June). Forced rhubarb (UK early variety, Jan – Mar) – more tender, pink rather than red and juicier. Haven’t tried this recipe with it, suspect adjustments required including less sugar and juice thickener. Suggest using Nigella’s forced rhubarb crumble recipe instead.
DO NOT eat leaves, they are toxic (need a fair amount, but still). OK to touch etc just not good for you to eat.
2. Apples – If you use red apples, you might want to reduce sugar slightly as green apples are tarter. Also, be careful not to use apples that soften into mush when cooked!
3. Baking dish – If you don’t have a pan this size, it’s better to use one slightly smaller rather than larger (filling gets spread too thin so you lose juice as more gets absorbed by crumble).
4. This odd-sounding technique has an important purpose: makes the topping into clumpy lumps rather than a sandy mixture that falls into the spaces between the rhubarb pieces. This then absorbs rhubarb juice and can make the filling seem “pasty” (yes, I really did have problems with this!)
5. Bake time – tougher, thicker rhubarb can take up to 45 min to soften. It’s easy to tell – just poke rhubarb with a knife.
Storage: Best served fresh. Stir fair the next day though the filling is drier as the juices are absorbed by the crumble. Not suitable for freezing.
Nutrition per serving assuming 5 servings.
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