Blood Orange Rhubarb Crumble
I’m a big fan of crumbles. By definition, a crumble is a fruity pie-filling like base with a brown sugar/flour/butter top crumbled over it. These are frequently made with apples, oftentimes referred to as crisps. Whether you call it a crisp or a crumble and whether you fill it with berries or rhubarb, they’re just so delicious. This one was no exception. I set out to make a rhubarb crumble for a nice dinner this weekend. Usually with rhubarb pies and crumbles the rhubarb is paired with a citrus juice, typically lemon or orange. So I was so excited when I got to the grocery store and saw blood oranges. I thought, how perfect!
Unfortunately when I got home the reality hit that the produce sorters at the market needed to reevaluate their process. All three pieces of fruit I purchased labeled “blood orange” were in fact, not. Just regular oranges. Luckily for me I had some blood orange juice in the fridge, so all was not lost. Though in the future I may pick out my citrus a little more carefully. A blood orange is an orange with a bright red center, a mutation of the sweet orange. Because of this it is beautiful, a little sweet, and the perfect compliment to the tart flavor of the rhubarb.
I also learned from Nigella Lawson (via Deb of Smitten Kitchen), that adding a little baking powder to the topping of your crumble increases the crumble to fruit ratio without having to up the butter content, which was exactly what I was looking for. It was yummy, beautiful, and the perfect way to welcome in March. Which, it turns out, is not the same thing as welcoming spring.
Blood Orange Rhubarb Crumble
filling:
5-6 rhubarb stalks
2 blood oranges
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp orange zest
topping:
1/2 cup oats
1 cup flour
1 stick butter, melted
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp orange zest
Clean and chop your rhubarb. Place in baking dish. Add the juice from 2 blood oranges. Add zest, sugar, and corn starch. Toss.
In a separate bowl combine melted butter and all other topping ingredients. Stir. It should be solid and clump together and on your spoon. Use your fingers to crumble over the top of the fruit.
Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Serve with ice cream.