Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble

Strawberry and rhubarb is my favourite pie/cobbler/crumble combination. They are soul mates really- the strawberries add this sweet tartness and the rhubarb transforms into this gooey thick sauce..it's just divine! I love making it in a crumble form because the crispy bite contrasts perfectly with the soft sweet filling. This is perfect served cold, warm or room temperature! But you mustn't forget to put a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top to make this recipe even more superb.

Ingredients:

For the topping: 

1 1/3 cup flour

 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cups oats

 2 tablespoons sugar

 2 tablespoons brown 

Zest of one lemon

1/4 pound (1 stick or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup chopped pecans

For the filling: 

1 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch pieces 

1 quart strawberries plus a few extras, hulled, quartered

Juice of one lemon

1/2 cup sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons cornstarch 

Pinch of salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 375°F and prepare topping. In a mixing bowl, combine flour,oats, baking powder, pecans, sugars and lemon zest and add the melted butter. Mix until small and large clumps form. Refrigerate until needed.

In the meantime, prepare the filling. Toss rhubarb, strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and a pinch of salt in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. 

Remove topping from refrigerator and cover fruit thickly and evenly with topping. Place pie plate on a foil-lined baking sheet, and bake until crumble topping is golden brown in places and fruit is bubbling beneath, about 40 to 50 minutes.