Saturday, July 19, 2008

Rhubarb Blackcurrant Crumble

rhubarb-blackcurrantcrumble

There wasn't a lot of rhubarb left at my in-laws, but I got a good handful of stalks to take home and turn into something yummy. I was thinking about a chutney, or maybe some sort of marmelade... but in the end, I decided a classical crumble was the way to go. I was leafing through my book "Smulpajer" (means "Crumbles") by Elisabeth Johansson, and I liked the sound of a rhubarb-blackcurrant pie, with cardamom flavor. I have three bushes with blackcurrants outside my kitchen window, in the grassy area that we share with ten of our neighbors, and no one ever picks them. So out I went! I gathered enough for the crumble - hardly made a dent, there's so much right now - and got busy baking.

As it happens, the theme for Sugar High Friday this month (hosted by Food Blogga) is berries! And that was also the last theme for "Waiter, there's something in my..." hosted by Jeanne, but I totally missed the deadline for that. So, this is my entry for SHF!

Rhubarb Blackcurrant Crumble
Serves 4-6

For the filling:
250 g rhubarb
250 ml (1 cup) blackcurrants
1/2 tbsp potato flour
1 tbsp muscovado sugar (or regular brown sugar)
2 tbsp homemade vanilla sugar (or regular caster sugar, or brown sugar, it doesn't matter much)

For the crumble:
125 g butter, cold, diced
120 g flour (can be wholewheat, all-purpose, or a mixture of the two)
50 g rolled oats
100 g muscovado sugar (or regular brown sugarn)
1-2 tsp cardamom seeds, pounded in a pestle and mortar

Slice the rhubarb into 1 cm pieces, and mix with the blackcurrants, potato flour and both kinds of sugar.

Place the butter with the flour, oats, sugar and cardamom in a bowl, and use your fingertips to pinch this into a crumbly mixture. Add more flour if it's too sticky, or a few drops of water if it seems way too dry.

Place the berry-rhubarb mixture in a large pie dish. It should be one, thin layer. Cover with the crumbles. Bake at 225°C for 15-20 minutes, and eat with vanilla custard or ice cream.

Recipe in Swedish:
Rabarber- och svartvinbärspaj

15 comments:

Angelica said...

You can't go wrong with a good crumble! The rhubarb/blackcurrant combination sounds really good, too.

Geggie said...

I just found your blog and I love it! I can't decide if I like the recipes or the kittens better!

Food from Down Under said...

Låter underbart gott. Blev vansinnigt sugern på svartvinbärssaft nu, men det är lie svårt att få tag på i Australien tyvärr. Har du förslag på någa alternativ?

Anne said...

Katarina/Cecilia - du kanske kan hitta creme de cassis, och göra nån trevlig drink som smakar svartvinbär i alla fall? :)

Katie said...

I love how golden you have managed to get the topping. I like adding oats to mine too.

Lore said...

Hej hej Anne!
Oh, I adore blackcurants but I've never paired them with rhubarb so I'm intrigued. That crumble looks delish!

Jeanine - The Baking Beauties said...

Wow, with all the black currants outside, I think you should pick more and make more wonderful baked good! Beautiful job!

David T. Macknet said...

The crumble sounds yummy!

Out of curiosity, how many recipes are in that crumble recipe book you mentioned? Because ... well, how many different ways of doing a crumble can there be?

Anne said...

DaviMack - you'd be surprised! There's a lot of recipes - I don't have it in front of me, but around 50, I think. And the funny thing is that TWO books came out around the same time, with the same name... so lots of crumbles indeed!

David T. Macknet said...

Okay, wow. Crumbles must be a very popular thing where you live!

I can't imagine a recipe book for crumbles going over very well in California - not that they're the epitome of foodies there, but that whenever we'd make a crumble people would be a bit confused ... and could only understand it as sort of a healthier version of a cobbler.

Here in Scotland, though ... well, it's colder, so perhaps. ;)

Susan from Food Blogga said...

Is there something wrong with your neighbors that none of them would pick the fresh blackcurrants? ;)

I love me a good crumble, Anne. And I can never resist tart rhubarb. Thanks for the oh-so-yummy entry.

Mike of Mike's Table said...

I've seen currants lately, but I've never worked with them and have been at a loss as to what I should do with them. This sounds like a great way to enjoy them and it looks delicious

Jeanne said...

Oh heavenly! I've been toying with the idea of a nectarine blackberry crumble and your lovely recipe may just provide the impetus to get me to the kitchen :)

Alexa said...

Blackcurrants and rhubarb, that must be excellent. I love a good crumble!

Anonymous said...

I've made a lot of crumbles in my time as they're my favourite pudding, but this one is the best I've ever tasted! I followed the recipe to the letter and my husband and I just adored it! Thankyou!