Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Fruit desserts are my favorite. Whatever the season, some variety of fresh fruit is sure to be found. Spring brings strawberries and rhubarb (which is technically a veggie- oh well!) and many new possibilities for dessert! Rhubarb stems, which look like red celery, are quite tart, but edible. Beware of the bushy green leaves, though, because they're toxic!

This crisp recipe came from Rustic Fruit Desserts: Crumbles, Buckles, Cobblers, Pandowdies, and More. It's one of the best cookbooks I've come across in a long time. It's organized by season, putting fresh fruit to use in a variety of scrumptious looking desserts. It would make a thoughtful gift for any baker. This is the first Rustic Fruit recipe I've featured on the blog, but there are definitely more to come! I appreciated the simplicity of the preparation of this crisp and the stellar result. A fresh, fruity, sweet strawberry and rhubarb treat!

INGREDIENTS
Filling:
3 cups rhubarb, diced or sliced
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces

Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 Tbsp. butter, melted

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter an 8 inch square dish.

2. To make the topping, in a medium bowl mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon. Stir in the melted butter to make a crumbly mixture. Spread half of the topping in the prepared dish.

3. To make the filling, in a separate bowl gently toss the rhubarb and strawberries together and spread out into the dish.

4. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Sprinkle over the rhubarb and strawberries evenly. Top with the remaining crumb mixture. Sprinkle the cold diced butter on top.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 45-60 minutes, until the juice is bubbling and the topping is crisp and golden brown. Remove from the oven to cool on a wire rack. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Serves 4-6.

(Adapted from Rustic Fruit Desserts)