Because I am always trying to find an even better (insert name of culinary item here), in this case the crisp part of this crisp, I learned once again, another valuable culinary lesson. DO NOT MESS WITH A GOOD THING! (The good thing here being the crisp topping recipe I have been using for the last 30 years or so.) So in full disclosure, the topping you see on the picture above is not what the recipe below produces. Oh, it looks the same, but the end result is quite different.

The new recipe I tried simply did not turn out as good a product as my old standby. It was OK, but for my taste it contained way too many oats and not enough butter. And I know. Oats are better for us than butter. But for an occasional indulgence, I say go for it. Do it right! But don’t get me wrong. I like oats in my crisps, just not so many that all you notice are the oats. And the new recipe didn’t have that lovely crunchy brown sugar flavor I love. So, that too was a contributing factor in deciding to go back to my original recipe. But as the old saying goes, nothing ventured, nothing gained. (In this case the gain was knowledge. Positive affirmation that my original crisp recipe was by far the superior product.)       

Now if you are expecting this rhubarb crisp recipe to be a new and exciting take on an old standard, then get ready for a disappointment. There are no new tricks, novelty ingredients, or special enhancements (except of course caramel sauce in the whipped cream) that make this recipe unique. It is just a great recipe for rhubarb crisp. But if you are new to rhubarb or have never turned it into a crisp, you are in for a treat. Or even if you have been making rhubarb crisp since God was a child, I believe this simple crisp is about as good as it gets. Because, in my opinion, rhubarb dishes don’t require as much sugar as is often suggested in other recipes. Rhubarb is inherently tart. And that tartness should be highlighted rather than disguised. So, you may wonder that I only use ¾ cup sugar for 8 cups of rhubarb. But trust me, it is the perfect amount. Because the topping has plenty of sugar in it and so does the whipped cream. And when you take a bite of the crisp, you want to taste the tartness of the fruit in combination with the sweetness of the topping and whipped cream. In other words, a perfect combination of tart and sweet in every bite. And this crisp delivers that wonderful combination in spades. So, give this recipe a try. You will love it and so will your family.  

As always, play with your food. Try new things, but don’t ignore the dishes or parts of a dish you know are fabulous. And make this rhubarb crisp while rhubarb is still in season. And yes, you can freeze rhubarb. But for a dish like this, fresh rhubarb is still your best choice.

Peace and love to all.

1½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

1½ c. brown sugar, packed

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 c. + 3 T. unbleached all-purpose flour, divided

1 c. rolled oats

8 c. diced fresh rhubarb

¾ c. granulated sugar

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

Cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the cinnamon. Mix in the 1 cup flour and rolled oats until crumbly. Set aside. 

Stir the rhubarb, granulated sugar, the remaining 3 tablespoons of flour, and vanilla extract together in a bowl. Spread the mixture in a buttered 13×9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over the rhubarb.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven on the middle rack for about 40 minutes or until the topping is browned and the rhubarb is bubbling. 

Remove from oven and let cool at least 30 minutes before serving. This allows the rhubarb mixture to set a bit. Serve the crisp dolloped with Caramel Whipped Cream or if you must, vanilla ice cream.

CARAMEL WHIPPED CREAM

2 c. (1 pint) heavy cream

¼ c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 T. caramel sauce

Whip the cream to stiff peaks. Whip in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and caramel sauce. Refrigerate until ready to serve.