Blackberry Rhubarb Crumble

I’ve always wanted to live in Paris.  This doesn’t surprise too many of my friends who know my love of the language (and absolute cheek-brightening shyness when it comes to using it), obsession with nineteenth-century French novels, and the fact that I own a baguette pan just as one might own a baking sheet. Every now and then, the old fantasy comes bubbling through the cracks of my day-to-day life–I read French food blogs, lustfully look at the new Chanel line of nail polish, and think, “one day, if only for a couple of months, I’m going to live in that city.”  And it’s true, I will live in that city (some day), but perhaps after the 2012-2013 season of book publishing and PhD-getting.Sigh.  I’m so busy.

To deal with a four day writing binge of exam essays, I spent parts of today watching films that glamorize Americans living in France–Midnight in Paris, Le Divorce–and working on my exams.  The interjection of the scholarly with the absolute dreamy made my day much more manageable.

Then, there was Blackberry Rhubarb Crumble.  That made my day a dream.

Blueberry Rhubarb Crumble really has nothing to do with French food, but it fits in nicely with my current state of mind…a little sweetness, a little crunch, and a little bit of heaven as we think of the things we want to do and how we might get them.

I suggest making this batch a variety of ways by using whatever fruit you have seasonally available. Rhubarb and blackberries are affordable and sweet at my local market and make for a lovely combination of black and red.  Bake in a simple sugar compound with crumbly oat and nut topping for a classic American dessert that’s great any time of the year.

So go ahead, dig in, and dream a little about Paris, or New Orleans, or whatever city you’ve been meaning to escape to from your day to day life.

Blackberry Rhubarb Crumble

Perhaps one of the most versatile bakery items I know of remains this easy fruit crumble.  Adapted here to my favorite produce, this breakfast (or dessert) item can be easily revised for any season of the year with the substitution of seasonal fruits: fall pears and apples, winter oranges, and/or spring strawberries and berries.

Ingredients:

—Filling—

*1 cup blackberries

*2 cups rhubarb, cut thinly

*1 tablespoon flour

*3/4 cup sugar

 

—Crumble Topping—

*1 cup steel-cut oats, not instant

*1/2 cup almonds, sliced*

*1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

*1 teaspoon cinnamon

*1 teaspoon allspice

*1/4 cup flour

*1/2 stick melted butter, melted

*Cook’s Note: sugared almonds, roughly chopped will work amazingly here

1.) Preheat oven to 350F.  Prepare Filling: combine blackberries and rhubarb with 1 tablespoon flour and 3/4 cup sugar.  Pour fruit mixture into an ungreased casserole dish or pie pan.

2.) Prepare Crumble Topping: mix dry ingredients—oats, almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and flour with 1/2 stick melted butter until mixture resembles a coarse meal.  Sprinkle crumble mixture over fruit filling and bake for 35 minutes, or until crumble is golden brown and fruit mixture is warm and bubbly.  Remove from oven and cool slightly.  Serve warm with crème fraiche, whipped cream, or ice cream and enjoy!Makes 6 servings.

–Helana Brigman