I used some rhubarb fresh from the garden to make a rhubarb dessert my Mom has been making since I was a kid. Cobbler, crumble, crisp, crunch, buckle...there are many variations of this dessert, but this one turned out scrumptious! To skip the boring bit (where I wax loquacious instead of just giving you the darn recipe) scroll down just a tad.
I’ve loved rhubarb since I was little. If you're new to my page, I grew up in the state of Maine, and in this neck of the woods, its pronounced "rhuBAHB" - R's ahn't welcome 'round these pahts, no suh.
The rhubarb used to grow under the apple trees behind the house. I liked to eat full stalks at a time - with direction not to eat the poisonous leaves of course! My Mom would also chop it up and cook it with sugar to make a nice sauce. As an adult I still love it, it’s that much tastier as it’s a “wee mindin’ of Scotland.”
A few years ago on a birthday in Scotland, my lovely friend Theresa made me a rhubarb dessert, look how pretty! It was made with love and I have such great memories of that day spent with special friends in a special place.
Rhubarb was first grown in Scotland around 1762 by horticulturalist Sir Alexander Dick (originally Alexander Cunyngham) of Prestonfield House, Edinburgh. He was gifted some seeds which were brought back from Russia by Dr. James Mounsey in 1762. Since then rhubarb has done quite well for itself in Scotland!
I like it in pie or crumbles or raw dipped in sugar for a nice sour punch in the mouth. How do you like to eat it?
If you like Scottish food feel free to join my Scottish Wanderlust Kitchen group where folks share their recipes and tips for eating out in Scotland! As you can tell by my questionable photo of my crisp, I'm no food photographer. There are no witnesses to tell you how many places I put that plate of mush to try to make it look nice...my Great Aunt Jennie's china saucer helped doll it up a good bit.
But if you want to see some quality Scottish foodie resources, here are a few great ones!
Ok so here’s how I made my rhubarb crisp, FINALLY, right!? (I will try to update soon to add metric measurements.)
Easy Rhubarb Crisp
Base:
• 3-4 Cups rhubarb (I chop in one inch chunks)
• 1 Cup sugar (can get by with less)
• 3 Tablespoons flour
Topping:
•1 Cup brown sugar (I lightly packed it)
•1 Cup rolled oats
•1-1 1/2 Cups flour
•1 Cup butter (softened, don’t melt it!)
Directions:
1. Combine rhubarb, sugar and flour. Place in greased 9x13 dish.
2. Combine brown sugar, oats and flour in large mixing bowl.
3. Cut in butter until crumbly. I got right in there with my hands but you can use a knife or fork to cut in the butter if you are feeling more civilized. Don’t worry about the crumbles being perfectly even, some bigger chunks are nice too!
4. Sprinkle over the rhubarb mixture.
5. Bake at 375F for 40 minutes.
Enjoy! Its yummy when warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. It’s crunchiest the first day but still great the next day too. Strawberries make a really nice addition too (add them with the rhubarb, and use less sugar in that layer) ❤️
The original version of this recipe was published in Country Magazine in 1986, but my Mom has made some changes to it, as have I.
Lilly x
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