I’m in a rhubarb frenzy! Or I was two weeks ago, since I’m a little bit behind over here. Like all spring/summer fruit, there’s such a short window of time when rhubarb is in season, so you really have to take advantage of it, and I think that makes it okay to go a little crazy. I calmed down over the past two weeks because I had some other, more princess-y baking projects to distract me, but the huge Square One farmer’s market opens this weekend, and I fully intend on picking up a whole tote full of rhubarb.

My parents are big fans, because they used to eat stewed rhubarb slathered on bread and biscuits when they were growing up. I guess I’m genetically pre-disposed to love it My own obsession began two years ago, continued last year, and the novelty has definitely not warn off. Something about this fruit just speaks to me – the flavour, the tartness, the pretty pink colour – I just love it. It’s definitely not for everyone, and has to be balanced out with a healthy dose of sugar, or another sweeter fruit, which is why you see it so much with strawberries.

For Mother’s Day dessert this year, Mom wanted something with rhubarb, and I decided on this cobbler. I never really understood cobbler before, but reading Deb’s post made me curious and want to give this a try. It’s basically stewed rhubarb topped with sweet scones/biscuits, so once you get going, it’s essentially rhubarb shortcake!

I also made these rhubarb streusel muffins for my parents, and the only feedback I got was that there was not enough rhubarb in them Then Danielle got a new stove and started talking about making jam (the best discovery of life), so I stole her idea and made a little batch of strawberry rhubarb jam, which is so delicious. After that came another breakfast rhubarb granola crisp (which I actually still have in the fridge, and ate this morning), and finally a strawberry rhubarb pecan loaf, which I brought to my Book Club meeting on Wednesday night. I still want to make a batch of the compote from this recipe to stir into yogurt, lots of these for summer cocktails on my balcony, and maybe one of these if the stars align and I can get fresh rhubarb and strawberries at the same time. And of course, more jam, maybe a raspberry rhubarb combo this time

Rhubarb Cobbler

Source: Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

Biscuit Topping

1 2/3 cup flour

3 1/2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 hard boiled egg yolks

1/8 tsp salt

6 tbsp cold butter, cut into cubes

2/3 cup + 1 tbsp whipping cream

Rhubarb Bottom

2 lbs rhubarb, cut into 1/2″ pieces

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste (if you don’t have this, just add a splash of vanilla extract)

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp turbinado/raw sugar

Directions

  1. For biscuits, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, egg yolks and salt to the food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until it is about the size of peas. Add 2/3 cup of cream and pulse until the dough comes together. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat out or roll to 1″ thickness. Use a cute cookie cutter, or just a drinking glass to cut out rounds, and place on a plate or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Put it in the fridge to chill for about half an hour while you’re getting the rhubarb ready.
  2. For rhubarb, toss it with the sugar, vanilla bean and cornstarch in a shallow 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Let it do it’s thing while the biscuits are chilling.
  3. When biscuits are done, arrange them on the top of the rhubarb, leaving about an inch between each one, because they’ll puff up a bit. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the remaining 1 tbsp of cream, and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
  4. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes until the biscuits are lightly browned. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Tagged as: cobbler, desserts, food, recipes, rhubarb