Strawberry and Rhubarb Crisp
(I will work out the cup measurements the next time I make this and post with this recipe.)
300g rhubarb, cut into 5-10 mm slices
300 g strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered
100 g caster sugar
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
For topping:
100 g coarse, fairly fresh white breadcrumbs
25g caster sugar
50g butter, melted
1. Mix the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and lemon zest in a bowl, then set aside to macerate for 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 200C/390F.
3. In a bowl, combine the topping ingredients and set aside.
4. Arrange the fruit in a fairly shallow 25cm x 18 cm dish.
5. Scatter the buttery breadcrumbs on top and bake for 20 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown and crisp.
6. Serve with ice cream, or whipped cream.
I will definitely check for the non-metric measurements for this, including the baking dish!
Rhubarb Cake
45-45 minutes in oven
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 8 oz self raising flour
- pinch of salt
- 4 oz butter or "margarine"
- 12 oz chopped rhubarb (see note below)
- 4 oz caster sugar
- 2 large eggs, slightly beaten, just to break up the yolks
- 1 tbsp demerara sugar (optional)
Grease, line & grease again a 1lb loaf tin.
Chop the rhubarb. Use quite thin rhubarb (maximum 20mm diameter), and chop it into slices about 10 to 15mm wide. Dark pink rhubarb looks the best.
Pre-heat oven to 180C, Gas Mark 4 or 5 (depending on your oven).
Add the salt to the flour, then rub the fat into the flour in the usual way to resemble fine bread crumbs. Mix in the caster sugar, chopped rhubarb (raw), then finally the beaten eggs. The mixture will be fairly dry and heavy for a cake mixture. Put the mixture into the loaf tin, level it out and then sprinkle the top with the demerara sugar.
Bake it in the oven for about 45 to 50 minutes until it looks done (ie, light brown and cake coloured). To test for doneness, press the top lightly with your finger and if it springs back, then it is done, or you can test with a skewer. If the top gets brown before the cake is cooked through, cover the top loosely with foil to stop it from burning.
Leave the cake in the tin for 15 to 30 minutes to firm up before turning it out carefully onto a wire cooling rack. At this stage it will probably be a bit fragile and wobbly. It is nice served warm as a pudding, but the following day it will have cooled and firmed up enough to eat as cake.
(Thank you to River Cottage for this recipe.)
