simply irresistible

Ah, spring! The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, my allergies are in full swing. The markets are filling up with ramps and artichokes and rhubarb and asparagus and fiddlehead ferns. I don’t usually do a lot of desserts around here–except for special occasions. But once in a while I just can’t help myself. And when this rhubarb was screaming at me from the produce shelf the other day, I couldn’t resist. It was so beautifully fresh and a perfect deep rose color. How could I ignore it? But, I wondered, what am I going to do with it? I decided on a tried and true recipe. And then I decided I better stop listening to produce….


Blueberry Rhubarb Pistachio Crisp

 
 
Some interesting rhubarb facts I thought you might like to know:

1. Rhubarb is actually a vegetable, but in 1947 a New York court decided that since it’s used mostly as a fruit, it should be considered a fruit.
2. Rhubarb leaves are poisonous and should not be eaten.
3. In the UK, the first rhubarb is harvested by candlelight.
4. My dad loves rhubarb.
 
I love rhubarb crisp. This dessert is very rewarding–not only because it’s delicious, it’s so easy to make! For this recipe, instead of pairing rhubarb with the usual suspect–strawberries–I mix it up by using blueberries. Their sweetness is the perfect balance to the tart rhubarb. The addition of pistachios to the crust adds an unusual salty crunch.


Begin by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a shallow 2 quart baking dish. In a large bowl, stir together sugar, flour, and freshly grated nutmeg. Dice the rhubarb stalks until they are similar in size to the blueberries. 


Add berries and rhubarb to the sugar mixture and toss well until coated. Spread out in the baking dish.
 

In a medium bowl, make the topping by first mixing together the flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Cut cold butter into 1/2 inch cubes and blend it into the flour mixture, using a pastry blender or your fingers, until it resembles coarse meal. 



Add the finely chopped pistachios and toss well.

 

Squeeze together handfuls of the topping and drop it in chunks over the fruit filling, covering the whole dish. Bake in the upper third of the oven, turning once midway, until filling is bubbly and the crust is crisp and golden, about 50 minutes.


 

Serve warm or at room temperature. Delicious on its own, this crisp is irresistible with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top.

 
Serves 6 to 8:
 
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3/4 pound rhubarb, trimmed and diced
2 cups blueberries
 
Topping:
 
1/3 cup salted pistachios, shelled and finely chopped
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 packed brown sugars
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter


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Tagged on:
By passioneats | 5.11.2011 | Baking, Berries, Butter, Dessert, Fruit, Nuts, Rhubarb, Sugar |

3 thoughts on “simply irresistible”

  2. Nina

    I make crisps often (pie crusts are a pain) and this one got rave reviews from my guests. It followed a dinner of mideastern-style lamb (pita, white sauce, saffron rice) and proved to be the perfect followup. Because I can’t help myself, did a little tweaking…used 1/2 cup flour with an addition of 1/2 cup old-fashioned Quaker Oats, cardamom and lemon zest in the topping, and added a splash of Calvados to the fruit. I’m a big blueberry fan – much prefer this to strawberry…and the use of pistachios is truly inspired. Will make this again (and again)!

  3. leonwriter

    I have never had a blueberry/rhubarb cake but it sounds like it would go under vanilla icecream as well as my favorite which is strawberry/rhubarb pie.