Raspberry Rhubarb Crostata

I'm always amazed at how many people have never eaten rhubarb.  My family had rhubarb desserts and sauces quite frequently. I look forward to the red stalks appearing at my local fruit stand each spring.  I keep saying I'm going to attempt to grow a rhubarb plant! As I was walking through the produce section of the grocery store I spied rhubarb on sale and bought a few stalks.  My initial intention was to make a crisp.  At the same time I bought raspberries as I was going to make my Hubbers raspberry popovers for breakfast.  Well, lo and behold, he had plans I didn't know about so I was faced with the dilemma of what to do with a basket of raspberries! I started searching recipes and found this crostata recipe from my favorite cookbook author, Ina Garten.  Problem solved as it uses both rhubarb and raspberries!

A crostata is basically a rustic pie baked on a sheet pan rather than in a pie pan. They are so easy to make, just roll out the dough, top it with filling, and fold the edges to form a border over the filling.  This pastry recipe makes enough for two crostatas.  Wrap the extra disc well and freeze for another time.

I will make this crostata again.  We had it for dessert one night (and I shared with my next-door neighbors) and breakfast the next (not any more calories than toast with jam is my excuse!)  Rhubarb can be a little tart but the sweet raspberries softens the tartness.  It's a delightful little dessert, especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Raspberry Rhubarb Crostata

For the Pastry (makes 2):

2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ pound (2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter, ½-inch-diced
¼ cup ice water

For the Filling (makes 1):

 

¼ cup cornstarch

4 cups (½-inch-thick) sliced fresh rhubarb (1¼ pounds)

6 ounces fresh raspberries

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 extra-large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Turbinado or demerara sugar, such as Sugar in the Raw

 

For the pastry, place the flour, granulated sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and toss carefully with your fingers to coat each cube of butter with the flour. Pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button just until the dough comes together. Turn onto a well-floured board, cut in half, and form into two disks. Wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. (If the dough is refrigerated for more than an hour, let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling it out).

For the filling, place 3 tablespoons of water in small bowl, whisk in the cornstarch, and set aside. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the rhubarb, raspberries, granulated sugar, orange zest, and orange juice. Cook over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, until some of the juices are released. Stir in the cornstarch, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 2 minutes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, until cool.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Roll the pastry into an 11- to 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface and transfer to the prepared pan. Pile the raspberry rhubarb mixture onto the pastry, leaving a 1½-inch border all around. Fold the border up over the filling, pleating if necessary and pressing lightly. Brush the pastry with egg wash, sprinkle just the pastry with turbinado sugar, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the pastry is browned and the filling is thickened. Cool for 30 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

Raspberry Rhubarb Almond Bars

I love raspberries (ok, I love every kind of berry!), rhubarb, and anything with almond paste in it.  Naturally, when I ran across this bar recipe, I knew I would have to make them.  What's not to love about a raspberry rhubarb jam nestled between layers of buttery, almond-flavored shortbread? They are so good!

 

 

The jam can be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.  I'm sure the jam would be good on toast or muffins, too. 

Like all bar recipes, this makes a lot of dessert.  They are great for potlucks and picnics.  I shared with neighbors and friends!

Raspberry Rhubarb Almond Bars

2 cups chopped (1/2-inch pieces) rhubarb (2 large stalks)
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons fresh lemon  juice

7 oz. almond paste
2 cups flour
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 oz. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Combine the rhubarb, raspberries, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally while it heats up and the sugar melts.  Once it comes to a simmer, lower the heat to medium-low and continue to cook the jam until the fruit breaks down, most of the liquid boils off, and it has a thick, jam-like texture (it will continue to thicken as it cools). Stir occasionally to avoid scorching. This should take 15-20 minutes.

Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before using. It can be made in advance and kept refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on the ends.  Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Coarsely chop the almond paste into pieces and put it in a food processor.  Process in long pulses until almond paste is in fine crumbs, then remove it from the processor.

Place the flour, powdered sugar, salt, and baking powder in the processor, and pulse briefly to combine.  Add the cold cubed butter, and pulse in long pulses until the mixture is crumbly, but holds together if you press a ball of it between your fingers.  Add the almond paste crumbs and almond extract, and process in short bursts until it's well-mixed. (The dough will still be crumbly).

Separate out about 1 1/4 cups of the crust and set it aside for later.  Take the remaining crust mixture and press it into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pan.  Bake the bottom crust for 15 minutes, until it is puffed and just starting to take on some color.

Spread the jam out into an even layer on the baked crust, and sprinkle the reserved crust mixture over the top (it will puff and spread as it bakes).

Bake the bars for an additional 30 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the top crust is golden brown.  Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.

Using the foil as handles, remove the bars from the pan and cut them into small squares. 

Bars can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

(Recipe adapted from www.sugarhero.com).

Extra foil on the ends allows for easy removal of the cooked bars.

Old-Fashioned Rhubarb Crisp

A few weeks ago, while driving home from San Francisco, we stopped at a little grill-type restaurant and had a late lunch. The daily dessert special was a rhubarb pie.  I haven't had rhubarb pie in eons, I instantly craved some, and ordered it.  Well, lo and behold, it seems this restaurant doesn't make their own pies.  What they thought was rhubarb was actually cherry.  Not even close to being the same!  Now I have nothing against a piece of cherry pie, but I wanted rhubarb!

 Rhubarb makes its annual appearance each spring.  Imagine my delight when my local grocery store had a display of freshly-picked rhubarb. Into my basket they went! Checkout took a little longer than normal as the clerk didn't know the produce code for rhubarb and had never heard of it. Nor had the friend, who I had run into, and was behind me in line. I was amazed! 

In case you don't know what rhubarb is, it's a pink or light red crisp stalk, very similar to a celery stalk.  Rhubarb is very tart.  Sugar is a must when baking with it!

I didn't have time to bake a pie.  The next best thing, in my opinion, is a crisp.  A layer of sweetened fruit on the bottom, topped by a brown sugar, crumbly top. It baked while we ate dinner.  My Hubbers likes his with ice cream, I'm fine with just the crisp.  It was equally good warmed up the next morning for my breakfast!

Old-Fashioned Rhubarb Crisp

4 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, if desired

1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, combine rhubarb, sugar, flour, and cinnamon.  Mix thoroughly (it will be crumbly, the sugar will not create a juice).  Pour into a greased 8" x 8" glass baking dish.

In same bowl, mix butter, oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt.  Sprinkle topping over the rhubarb mixture, creating an even layer.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until topping starts to brown.

Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Rhubarb-Blueberry Crumble

 I love rhubarb, love the sweet-tart taste of it in baked goods. Rhubarb and strawberry are quite often associated with each other and make a delicious combination. After my recent blueberry picking experience Mom sent me this recipe.  That was a hint that I needed to make it! Well, a person is never too old to learn and I have learned that rhubarb and blueberries also work well together!

This recipe took no time to put together and was delicious! My Hubbers requested a scoop of ice cream on his!

Rhubarb-Blueberry Crumble

2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups blueberries
3 cups sliced rhubarb

Topping:
3/4 cup Bisquick/baking mix
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped almonds (I used pecans)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt.  Add blueberries and rhubarb; toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 8-inch square baking dish.

For topping, in a small bowl, mix baking mix, sugar and salt.  Cut in butter until crumbly; stir in oats and almonds. Sprinkle over filling.  Bake 40-45 minutes or until filling is bubble and topping is golden brown.


The fruit, in all it's juicy glory, waiting for the topping!

I use a pastry blender to cut in the butter; two knives can also be used.

Rhubarb-Raspberry Custard Pie

When spring & summer rolls around my sweet tooth changes, too.  No longer content with cakes & cookies (well, I won’t turn them down!), I want fresh fruit desserts.  It’s time for fruit pies, cobblers, crisps, homemade fruit ice cream!

One of the fruits I crave in the spring is rhubarb.  Rhubarb, on its own, is very tart. But add some sugar, simmer or bake, and you have a lovely flavor; kind of sweet, kind of tart. Berry season also coincides with the rhubarb season so it’s very popular to combine rhubarb and strawberries.  A lesser-known combination, but just as wonderful, is rhubarb and raspberries. Today I made a rhubarb-raspberry custard pie. Mom has made this recipe for a number of years now and I just love it. Not only do you get rhubarb and raspberries but a creamy custard and a streusel topping. How can you go wrong with that?

Rhubarb always reminds me of pink celery!

Pie dough comes easy to me but I know some people struggle with this.  Don't let baking a pie intimidate you, the pie dough in the deli section of the grocery store or frozen pie shells work just fine!

Mix the rhubarb and raspberries and pour into unbaked pie shell.

 

One thing I've learned when baking fruit pies is to bake them on a foil-lined pan.  If it overflows I don't have to clean the oven! To keep the pie crust from getting  too brown during the baking time, cover the edges of the crust with foil or these little pie crust shields. Remove after 25 minutes and continue baking. The custard in this pie blends with the fruit producing a very creamy pie.

And now you see why I use a foil-lined pan to bake on.  This raspberry drip would've been on the bottom of my oven, smoking the house up and leaving me a mess to clean!

We ate this slightly warm and it was quite yummy (though the picture is blurry!) If you like rhubarb you will enjoy this pie!

 

 

Rhubarb-Raspberry Custard Pie

1 ¼ cup sugar

2 T. flour      

¼ tsp. nutmeg

4 beaten eggs                                 

Pastry for single crust pie

1 lb. rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces (3 cups)
1 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries

Topping:

¼ cup flour
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ cup chopped almonds
2 T. butter (cold)

In small mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour & nutmeg. Add eggs.  Beat well with a whisk or beater until well mixed. 

Combine rhubarb & raspberries; spoon into pastry shell. Pour the egg mixture over the fruit. To prevent overbrowning, cover edges of pasty with foil.

 Bake in a 375° oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil from the pan and bake 25 minutes more or until the custard is set.

Meanwhile, for topping, mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon & nutmeg. With a pastry blender (or two knives), cut in butter until the mixture is the size of small peas.  Stir in the almonds.

Remove pie from the oven.  Sprinkle topping mixture around outer edge of fruit & custard, leaving a 5-inch circle in the center uncovered. Return to oven for 5-7 minutes, until browned.

Cool on wire rack.