Rhubarb crumble

Name: Rhubarb crumble
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 - 6
Ingredients: 150 g plain flour; 50 g ground almonds; 75 g demerara sugar; 75 g caster sugar; 100 g butter, cubed; 1 sprig rosemary, needles picked and finely chopped; Pinch of salt; 700 g rhubarb, ends removed, cut into 2cm lengths; Juice and zest of ½ orange; 1 tsp. cornflour; 100 g caster sugar; Ice cream, cream or custard, to serve

Don't forget to freeze your topping, too

By Matthew LockwoodUpdated: 25 March 2024

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Erik Bernstein

Rhubarb crumble is one of the most classic dessert recipes, and this easy crumble recipe is a guaranteed winner. While most crumble recipes are quite similar and straightforward (stewing the fruit and getting that nice crispy topping), there are a few tricks to create the perfect one. So if you've ever wondered how to make the best crumble topping, keep reading.

Trick one: Cornflour. This isn’t totally traditional but using cornflour is a cheat’s way of thickening up the fruit mixture sauce so that it doesn’t become too watery. As well as this, it keeps your crumble topping crispy because the additional water that cooks out of the rhubarb can make it go soggy.

Trick two: Freeze your topping. Crumbles are supposed to be chunky, craggy and gnarly. Freezing your topping just hardens it slightly and means that the texture will be nice and crispy when it’s cooked.

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Yields:

4 - 6

Prep Time:

15 mins

Cook Time:

35 mins

Total Time:

50 mins

Ingredients

For the crumble topping

150 g
plain flour
50 g
ground almonds
75 g
demerara sugar
75 g
caster sugar
100 g
butter, cubed
1
sprig rosemary, needles picked and finely chopped
Pinch of salt

For the crumble mixture

700 g
rhubarb, ends removed, cut into 2cm lengths
Juice and zest of ½ orange
1 tsp.
cornflour
100 g
caster sugar
Ice cream, cream or custard, to serve

Directions

1. Step 1Preheat oven to 200ºC (180ºC Fan).
2. Step 2Put rhubarb into a medium sized baking dish. Pour over the caster sugar, orange juice, zest and cornflour and mix well to combine. Set aside.
3. Step 3In a separate bowl, combine all crumble topping ingredients. Using fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until combined but still a little lumpy.
4. Step 4Wet your hands and mix the topping a little further into it forms into larger clumps. Freeze for 15 minutes.
5. Step 5Remove from freezer and sprinkle chilled crumble mix over the rhubarb and carefully spread it out.
6. Step 6Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve with vanilla ice cream, custard or cream.