Regardless of how long the snow and freezing temperatures stay around, rhubarb, along with tulips and irises, is always the first sign of spring for our area.
I grew up eating rhubarb crisp with the gooey-sweet-tart middle and the crumbly topping that pairs so well with whipped cream. So, when I came across this recipe for Rhubarb Crunch in Nick’s recipe box, I actually thought I was making crisp! Upon taking my first bite, I realized this dessert wasn’t quite what I remembered, though it is a core memory for Nick.
After taking some time to read the recipe and google it, I found out the Crisp is made with granulated sugar while the Crunch is made with brown sugar. There are two crunch recipes our recipe box and the only difference between the two is that one has 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and the other is 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. The amount of sugar in the filling and crumble can be overwhelming and grainy, so I did cut the sugar in the crumble by about 1/4 cup. The sugar in the sauce can be reduced by a few tablespoons if you wish, though I wouldn’t decrease this by more than a 1/4 cup. I also experimented with the pan size. I prefer the crunch in a 7×11 pan instead of the traditional 9×13 because the crumble covers both the top and bottom and there is a clear definition of layers. With the original 9×13 pan, there was not enough crumble to cover both the bottom and the top of the dish, so if you wish to use the 9×13 pan, I suggest you double the amount of crumble you make or only put it on the top.
Fortunately, there isn’t much that needs to change in this recipe when making this gluten free. There is some flour in the crumble, but as it is a crumble, you don’t miss the gluten from regular flour. One area where gluten could sneak in is with the oats, so make sure they are certified gluten free, to be on the safe side. Another place for gluten to sneak in is in the pan itself. If you are new to baking gluten free, those cherished family heirloom 9×13 pan are full of scratches and therefore they are full of gluten. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to completely remove gluten from these pans, so using a scratch free non-sick or a glass pan will ensure you don’t accidentally cross contaminate your dessert.
Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
Rhubarb Crunch
Ingredients
- 4 cups diced rhubarb
- 1 cup flour
- 3/4 cup uncooked oatmeal
- 3/4 to 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 tsp to 1 TBSP cinnamon
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 TBSP cornstarch
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp vanilla
Directions
- Step 1 Mix the flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon together. Press 1/2 of this crumb mixture into a greased 8×8 or 7×11 pan.
- Step 2 Over this spread the rhubarb.
- Step 3 In a medium saucepan, add the white sugar, cornstarch, water, and vanilla. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is thick and clear.
- Step 4 Pour the sauce over the rhubarb.
- Step 5 Top the rhubarb with the remaining crumb mixture.
- Step 6 Bake for 1 hour.
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