Strawberry and rhubarb crumble

Name: Strawberry and rhubarb crumble
Ingredients: 500 g fresh strawberries; 2 rhubarb stalks (200 g); 6 tablespoons brown sugar; 100 g cinnamon digestive biscuits; 10 g butter (for greasing the dish); 120 g cold full-fat butter; 60 g brown sugar; 220 g all-purpose flour

Dessert - Strawberry and rhubarb crumble by Eliza J. - Recipia

Strawberry and rhubarb crumble has soft, juicy fruit under a sandy crust of butter, flour and brown sugar. The butter has to be cold and rubbed into the flour until the dough turns sandy, and the fruit sits for 20-30 minutes with the sugar so it releases its juice. I don't leave it to cool for long, I think it's better lukewarm. Preparation: 20 minutes. Cooking: 40 minutes. Resting: 25 minutes. Total time: 85 minutes. Servings: 6. About 490 kcal and 6 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the filling

500 g fresh strawberries
2 rhubarb stalks (200 g)
6 tablespoons brown sugar

For the biscuit base

100 g cinnamon digestive biscuits
10 g butter (for greasing the dish)

For the crust

120 g cold full-fat butter
60 g brown sugar
220 g all-purpose flour

Preparation

1. Wash the rhubarb stalks, trim them and cut them into pieces of 1.5-2 cm. 2. Wash the strawberries, remove the hulls and cut them into quarters or smaller. 3. Mix the fruit with the 6 tablespoons of brown sugar and leave it aside for 20-30 minutes, until it releases a little juice. 4. Crush the digestive biscuits and spread them evenly in a heatproof dish greased with 10 g butter. 5. Put the fruit over the biscuits in an even layer, with all the juice. 6. For the crust, mix the flour with 60 g brown sugar, then add the cold butter cut into cubes and work it with your hands until the dough has a sandy texture. 7. Sprinkle the dough over the fruit and put the dish in the oven preheated to 175-180°C for 35-40 minutes, until it browns nicely.

Notes

The crumble is best served lukewarm, with Greek yogurt or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, while the juice still shows on the fruit. It contains gluten and dairy, from the flour, biscuits and butter. I think the brown sugar in the crust would be better ground, because the large granules can be felt when you bite into the crust. Choose strawberries that are red right up to the stem and smell fragrant, because pale ones are more sour and watery. Rhubarb should be firm, with straight, smooth stalks and no spots. It happens that the fruit releases a lot of juice in the dish and the biscuits at the bottom go soggy. Cooled and covered, it keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, and the next day it is warmed up a little before serving.

Frequently asked questions

What can I use instead of rhubarb?

You can use 300 g apples cut into 1.5 cm cubes, and the 6 tablespoons of brown sugar stay the same.

Why is the crust lumpy and not sandy?

The butter was probably too soft or you rubbed it too much. Keep it in the fridge until just before, and stop mixing when the pieces are the size of peas.

Can I use frozen strawberries?

Yes, thawed and drained well of juice, then leave them for 20-30 minutes with the sugar, the same as fresh ones.

Can I use white sugar instead of brown sugar?

You can, 6 tablespoons for the filling and 60 g for the crust, but the crust comes out lighter in colour and less aromatic.

Can I replace the digestive biscuits with other biscuits?

Yes, with plain biscuits, without cream or icing, 100 g crushed the same way.