Strawberry-Rhubarb cobbler
You can still find rhubarb in some Northern California markets. Most of the rhubarb I ate as a kid in Detroit was sort of stewed for a while, probably just with sugar. I remember really loving the sweet yet tart flavor.
I found another great way to celebrate rhubarb along with early season strawberries in the Eating Well In Season: The Farmers’ Market Cookbook. This is a perfect springtime dessert. Even just a small serving is very satisfying.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 pints strawberries, hulled and thickly sliced
- 8 ounces rhubarb, trimmed of the leaves and cut into ½ inch slices — about 2 cups
- 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca or 1 tablespoon cornstarch (I used the cornstarch not having had tapioca in over 50 years.)
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Topping
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoon cold butter, cut into pieces
- 1 cup nonfat buttermilk
I know there’s a lot of cool chemistry going on with the baking powder and baking soda — releasing carbon dioxide to make the dough rise. The baking soda works fast and makes it rise in the mixing bowl while the baking powder makes it rise in the oven.
Given all the bad stuff we hear about carbon dioxide and global warming, it’s good to remember we all breathe it out upon exhalation and need it to make a good cobbler. Probably tough to explain to kids.
Directions
- To prepare the filling, combine the strawberries, rhubarb, 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch or tapioca, 1/8 teaspoon each cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Let it stand for at least 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and spices listed above for the topping.
- Cut in the butter with two forks or your fingers until crumbly. Stir in the buttermilk just until combined. (The buttermilk is the “acid” needed to activate the baking soda)
- Using a large spoon, drop the dough in 8 big dollops over the filling and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
- Bake until browned and bubbling, 40 to 50 minutes. (It’s wise to have a pan or tray under this cobbler as the juices tend to get exuberant) You can cover it with foil if it’s browning too quickly.
- Serve this warm. It’s a real treat.
Nutrition information (per serving)
- Calories: 249
- Total fat: 0 mg
- Saturated fat: 2 mg
- Trans fat: 0 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 329 mg
- Total carbohydrate: 52 g
- Dietary fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g