Yes, I’m back. It has been a while, I know. The great part about blogging is, when life happens, you can put it on hold. A lot has been happening in life right now that has kept me from finding time to blog, but it has also been keeping me from cooking. I’ve been picking up some consulting hours, managing the never-ending business of summer with two kids, as well as, preparing for some life changes in the coming year. I never want to post a recipe I am not proud of or back a product we don’t really love or find a perspective that isn’t really worth discussing. Then our farm share started up and I was forced to get creative. What do you do with a boat load of fresh strawberries that only last a day or two and a big bunch of rhubarb….dessert!
Strawberries and Rhubarb
I love strawberry rhubarb pie. I am a sucker for the sour/sweet combo and it is a perfect light dessert for summer. However, I am a horrible piecrust maker. It is something I hope to master some day, but I just can’t get it right. Even in my pre-gluten-free days, I could never get a perfect flaky crust. Usually I just bought a premade crust from the store, but the ingredients are horrible and they don’t taste that great anyway.
Filling
Crisps or crumbles are the perfect alternative to pies. They have the same great flavors and I love having some flexibility over the crumbly topping. The combinations are endless – oats, quinoa flakes, nuts, seeds, honey, maple syrup, coconut, and beyond. They have the added simplicity of not having to make dough and roll out a piecrust.
This recipe was inspired by a recipe I found on the blog Pinchofyum.com. I really liked how simple the recipe is and I like the nutty topping. I made some changes based on my personal taste and texture preferences. I also altered the recipe so it could be made into “mini” crisps. I like the mini versions because they keep your serving size in check and every crisp gets its own sticky gooey border. By the way, this recipe is also grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, and vegan.
Crumbles
My favorite part of this recipe is making the crumbly topping. I do this all using my hands, no pastry cutter or fancy tools required. After adding the dry ingredients to the bowl, simply add in the coconut oil and mix together with your hands until crumbles form.
Ready to bake!
My husband has had his share of strawberry rhubarb crisp as I developed the recipe, but he wasn’t complaining. I typically whipped up a batch after the kids went to bed and we enjoyed it together as we watched our favorite grownup shows. This will be a treat we enjoy every summer. I hope you enjoy it too.
Right out of the oven
P.S. I’ve also enjoyed a mini crisp for breakfast topped with a scoop of plain unsweetened yogurt!
- Filling:
- 1.5 cups chopped strawberries
- 1.5 cups chopped rhubarb
- zest from one lemon
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder (can also use cornstarch)
- Topping:
- ½ cup almond meal
- ½ cup chopped pecans (or hazelnuts, walnuts)
- 2 Tbsp coconut flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 Tbsp coconut oil, plus more for greasing ramekins
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly grease 6 ramekins with coconut oil.
- Place all 6 ramekins on a baking sheet.
- Combine all the ingredients for the filling in a medium bowl.
- Evenly distribute filling into each of the 6 ramekins.
- In a separate bowl combine almond meal, nuts, coconut flour, and salt.
- Add the coconut oil and mix ingredients with hands until “crumbles form” and the oil is well distributed.
- Evenly distribute crumbles over filling of each ramekin.
- Place baking sheet with ramekins in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the topping is lightly browned.
- Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes and enjoy as is or top with your favorite whipped cream or ice cream.
